embrace the mess

Imagine: a child in a nice, clean living room, wielding a paintbrush like it’s a sword. An array of vibrant paints are strewn across his desk. With each swing, he creates textured strokes across the page and onto the desk itself. He’s gleefully oblivious to the paint splashing all around him. Next, he grabs a bottle of paint and pours it on the page, then mashes his hand into the giant puddle.

Now let’s zoom out. There are two adults, presumably his parents, anxiously hovering, their voices a jittery symphony of correction and instruction. "Oh, careful! Don't let the paint drip. It’s getting on the wall! Don’t splash it!" It’s a frenzy of stress and concern over the mess.

In that moment, it struck me: this is clearly not the way to foster a child's artistic spirit. So, we made a simple yet profound decision—to carve out a space in our home where messiness was not only tolerated but embraced. We christened it his "messy desk." There, amidst the controlled chaos, he was free to explore art and texture without fear of reprimand or constraint.

Weeks passed, and there he was, painting with abandon, joyfully mixing and smudging, smearing and splattering, and of course, sprinkling glitter.

Beside him, on a second easel we installed for grown-ups, instead of seeing a nervous adult constantly correcting him, he saw a grown man with no idea how to paint, painting with almost as much abandon. What a different example I was setting! And how liberating to be confidently awful at something.

Funny how our environments shape our interactions, our relationships, and even our creative impulses. The messy desk has become a symbol of imagination in our home—a testament to the transformative power of space.

Are there elements in your environment that are hindering your growth, relationships or creative spirit? Are there areas where you’re unable to embrace the mess? Align your surroundings with your aspirations and who knows what may grow.