The Seventh Sketch

I was given a choice. The same choice we all have.

Do it right or do it again.

I did it again. Seven times.

I never got it right. It felt like I never would.

As I finished the seventh time, I realized the more times I did it, the less it looked like the first. The further away from my spark of inspiration.

The worse my sketch got.

That first spark was lost in smoke as I tried for perfect flames.

Gone.

Killed by my efforts to make it better and better.

I threw the sketchpad and cried. My tears further drowned the fire of my inspiration.

Then I glimpsed the first sketch. It wasn't any good. It didn't capture my mental image correctly. The proportions were skewed. I had thrown it away in trying for better.

It was better than any of the others. More energy. More emotion. More fire.

Maybe I didn't do it wrong the first time. 

Maybe it was O.K. to not have been perfect that first time.

It was still beautiful. 

I could do better with the next spark.

It wouldn't be perfect either.

But I could make each one better as I went.