Authenticity vs Perfection
Something interesting happened over the weekend and it got me thinking about authenticity and perfection and how this translates into designing our homes.
A friend came over for dinner and he poked his head into my studio. I had just rearranged it for about the umpteenth time as I tried to make the most of my small space. In the process of organizing I had put some of my paintings up on a bulletin board.
My friend was instantly drawn to this painting of a little Ellie. Honestly, I had debated throwing it away - it was a piece that I had done at about 4:00 in the morning when I couldn’t sleep one night … there was no thought put into it, just quick brush strokes, basically I was sleep painting as I wasn’t fully conscious as I put paint on paper.
After our friend left I was looking at the painting and realized how loose and free it was - something that I strive for (often with little success) when I’m painting in a fully conscious state. On a lark, I posted this painting in a FB artist group and the resulting responses were completely unexpected. Never before I had received so much positive feedback on any painting!
Is this little Ellie painting ‘perfect’? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But what it does have is authenticity. There is no pretense of perfection, just genuine emotion.
So how does this translate into your everyday life and creating your sanctuary? How do you let go of the never ending quest for perfection in favor of authenticity? I believe the first step is in letting go of who you think you ‘should’ be and how you think your home ‘should’ look.
The next step is a bit more challenging - unearthing your authentic self. The self that has been buried and covered up in an attempt to be what the world expects of you. It requires shutting out all the ‘noise’ from the outside - what advertisers tell you is needed to be perfect or social media tells you to do in order to be popular. Not spending hours looking at Pinterest and Houzz in order to create the perfect home. In order to be authentic, you must go within, and really listen to that little voice that whispers to you. What really makes your heart sing? What brings you joy? Who do you want to be? And you must have courage - courage to be who you are, to embrace your glorious imperfections in favor of authenticity!
Our homes are a reflection of ourselves. Look around your home. Does it really reflect YOU? Or is it a compilation of the latest trends? Spend some time doing a deep dive into what brings you joy, collect things that speak to your heart, surround yourself with colors and accessories that make you happy when you walk into the room. I can assure you, if you design your sanctuary from a place of authenticity, the result might not be a magazine worthy show house, but it will be a beautiful and inviting home - one that is perfect for YOU!
Blessings,
Melissa