ADVENTure #4

Spills — The Beauty of ImperFlection

By Chris Dunmire | Posted 5/13/23 | Updated 6/19/24

In her book The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard), Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching™ founder Jill Badonsky, MEd, introduces us to "10 powerful creativity principles in the guise of wise and playful Muses."

Today I want to introduce you to one of them, Spills the Imp, who takes us by the hand through the domain of "releasing perfection, enjoying the process, and knowing the power of practice and patience."

Spills has decked the halls of Creativity Portal over the years and shares her perspective in a conversation with Molly Anderson who asked, "When in need of your messy, accidental and imperfect brand of inspiration, how can mortals call upon you?"

Pay attention to how Spills addresses this, which is your Kaizen-Muse lesson for the day.

Kaizen-Musing

A Messy, Modern Day Lesson

Mop Q: When in need of your messy, accidental and imperfect brand of inspiration, how can mortals call upon you?

"Just by starting something, with the intention of being in the process without a care initially for how things look, sound, or are received by others. Let it be imperfect, messy, absurd, and insignificant."

Spills explains, "At the very beginning, the creative process requires lowered expectations, spiked with fun, in very tiny increments of time, in fractions of steps. It's a Muse-law, and will work every time to set in motion a glorious process flowing with joy."

She continues, "The single most invincible secret in helping mortals get out of paralysis that comes from perfectionism is: Lower your expectations."

Why is this important? Spills responds, "There is an epidemic right now in the creative pool of consciousness called Unrealistic Expectations That Seem Realistic but Aren't Really in The Get-Things-Done Scheme of Things."

The takeaway? "Notice when you lower expectations that you actually get started versus avoid your creative passion. Finishing something requires: getting started."

ADVENTures

#1 Gift Box
#2 Why Play?
#3 Orange-aments + Runner Sled Project
#4 Spills
#5 What If

#6 Update: Wabi-Sabi
#7 Ol'Factory
#8 Let Me Sk8
#9 Legend / Bedazzle's Foreshadow Card
#10 4 Steps of Creativity
#11 Shoehorning

#12 Setbacks + Update
#13 Unfin
#14 Creativity Step 1: Preparation
#15 Sagacious / Bedazzle's Slouchy Sock Card
#17 Creativity Step 2: Incubation

#20 Creativity Step 3: Illumination
#23 Halcyon / Bedazzle's ChristmaStreess Card
#24 Creativity Step 4: Verification