The statue of David by Michaelangelo is one of the great masterpieces of art. At 14 feet tall, it is mesmerizing. The veins carved of stone seem to pulse with life; you can not help but see the faith and courage that David embodied in that famous statue of contemplation before striking down the giant Goliath.
Yet, the genuinely unforgettable experience for me was walking through the long corridor of the Accademia Gallery in Florence that leads to the David statue. Along the corridor are sculptures on display, left unfinished and in process, full of potential but not wholly realized yet. Each one documenting the process of growth and skill, each one holding a place of honor until you finally end at the perfection of the David statue.
As an artist, I have hundreds of unfinished paintings, sketches, and canvases. Ideas that were partially formed and techniques that were not in line with my vision, some tossed aside, others left for another time to continue.
As I walked and looked at these beautiful masterpieces, unfinished and impressive in their own right; the message was clear, the "process" is a long journey, one that is unfinished and abandoned at times but beautiful in its way, essential to the final work and the actual pathway.
So often, I have disregarded the hard work, mistakes, and hours spent building up the "David" in my life. How many versions of myself have I left behind? Like the gallery corridors, I saw the vision in the distance, but I didn't always want to walk through the practice work and expend all my energy and time.
As an artist and educator, I have learned that the process is the road to truth. Struggle and failure are glistening opportunities to stretch and get dirty in wondering and creating.- the metaphorical chisel allows the most authentic version of self to emerge.
Keep your mistakes close, pile them up like my paintings, and take some time to go back and review what you learned; look at the process in a new way, not something to rush through or get through, but the actual road to being who we are, just like David standing in front of Goliath beating all the odds. David met the idea of Goliath many times, with different faces and situations, each adding strength and power to the truth and purity of his being.
When I look back at the various versions of myself and my growth journey, I no longer regret the twists and turns that lead me on a detour. Instead, I understand that the detours, mistakes, and sadness are the events that pushed me have the courage to create and tear down the walls of limitations.
I encourage you to honor the unfinished parts of yourself and step into the unknown waters of creation.
