(noun) - a fault, blemish, or undesirable feature; the state of being faulty or incomplete
Now, I know what you're thinking..."yuck, imperfection?!? No thanks!"
Ahhhh. I hear you. And yet...
What would happen if you allowed yourself to make space for imperfection in your life? Would it open up space for something else to exist/thrive?
Let me walk you through ways I make space for - and often celebrate - imperfection.
In the image below you'll see a brownish/mustard armchair. (If you've been here the last few weeks, it's just on the the exterior wall, creating an edge to the "living room"...) It's of the vintage variety and is rather comfortable if I do say so myself. However, it came to me as an imperfect object. Actually, it came to me as a non-functioning chair. Let's see how making space for imperfection let me acquire one of my favorite, and most used, chairs...
I first saw this chair in an old co-working space storage unit. It was part of a myriad of items that were tagged for the dumpster. It had one very ornate, victorian wooden legs missing and was incredibly dusty after years of banishment. Maybe it's the caretaker in me or my fierce belief that I can re-use every.broken.thing. but I took one look at it and said "I'll take it!".
When I got it home I examined the legs again. They were very detailed and unless I wanted to spend time, energy, and money, I would not be reconstructing them anytime soon. Even though I had a hunch the chair would be imperfectly perfect for my studio space and lifestyle, I wasn't absolutely sure so I decided to experiment with it.
I looked around my apartment to see what could be used to prop the seat level, assuming that I would have to shimmy something underneath to get the correct height. Miracle upon miracles, the wood crates I had been using as bookshelves in my apartment along with the existing wooden peg leg connection on the chair made for a very level, very sturdy, and very comfortable seat!
Would it have been the end of the world if I had passed on the chair thinking it too imperfect? No. I would have found something at some point. But I adore that by making space for imperfection I gave this piece a second life, freed up my brain to focus on other things, and - bonus - created a unique wood-crate-bookshelf-chair piece!
Now, let's talk about some intangible moments as well. Allow me to tell you a story of when I first launched this series as a 12-day effort back in 2021…
I had been posting the landing page for this email engagement in a few different communities of mine. I have to admit, sharing my thoughts and ideas is not super comfortable for me and each time I hit send, I would run around the apartment to release the nervous energy I felt. I promised myself when I first had the idea for the 12 Days that I would view it as an experiment...I knew I would fumble and misstep and mess up. I'm not super tech-savvy and I moved pretty quickly from idea to implementation on this digital-heavy offering. The chance for imperfection was high. I also knew the regret of waiting until everything is perfect to release something to the world - I had wasted too many years in this space of non-action.
One morning, I received a gentle and helpful nudge that I had a typo in my copy. Honestly, it was a pretty glaring typo, one I should have noticed. Directly on the heels of that I realized that I had set up my email opt-in incorrectly and it was causing issues and confusion. I had to laugh in that very moment as I knew Day 3 was about to focus on Imperfection - and there I was, demonstrating it beautifully!
For many years, I've been afraid of the imperfect side of sharing ideas - the typos or missteps, unintentionally causing harm, or simply not being able to aptly communicate my thoughts. It isn't the only thing that stops me from taking action but it certainly contributes. I'm so grateful that the imperfection gremlin has quieted enough to allow me to test, experiment, and offer what I can to the world. Typos and mistakes included!
What would you create, share, or make space for if imperfection had a cozy home in your day-to-day?
One last bit on imperfection before we end...embracing imperfection in others.
Have you ever found yourself critical of someone else because they did not do something the way you thought it should be done, the "perfect" way? It could be a partner, a boss or colleague, a random person you encounter in your day, or even a business interaction. The fact that they mess up or drop the ball annoys you, if only they did x-y-z!
I personally bump up against this all the time and I'm guessing I'm not alone. It always takes me a minute to realize that the level of perfection I am holding them to is the level of perfection I'm holding for myself. Meaning, if I'm not giving them grace in a moment of imperfection, I'm certainly not giving myself grace in those moments either. And we could all use a bit more grace.
This shifted my relationship to imperfection and while it is a continuous, imperfect practice for me (see how that works?!?), it has helped release a fair amount of agitation in my day-to-day...which frees up so much space!
How would your engagement with the world around you change if you embraced imperfection in yourself and others?
(A quick note…imperfection also rears its head within efforts to shift structural systems around the globe. And while I firmly believe we could all individually benefit from normalizing - and accepting - imperfection, there is a time and place to hold our systems and those at the helm accountable in order to create change.
What is beautiful about offering grace is that it is both loving and an indicator of fierce truth. Two things can be true. We can hold systems accountable while acknowledging imperfection of those operating within them and/or doing the work to change them.
Also note…acknowledging imperfection does not give a fee pass for bad behavior. Be intentional in the spacemaking you give yourself and others and remember your boundary work from Week 2.)
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What comes up when you think about imperfection? Is there negative/positive/neutral connotation?
what does imperfection look/feel/sound like in your life right now?
Where do you feel you can invite imperfection into your daily spaces, even if just a little bit?
When do you tend to strive for perfection the most? And what would happen if you gave yourself permission to be imperfect in that moment?
In what ways can you make space for imperfection in your life? (wait, Do not throw this computer/phone out the window! It's a gentle nudge to observe and see what comes up...:)
This wraps Week 3...thank you for taking time to explore spacemaking from a place of imperfection!
If you feel inspired to share any takeaways, examples in your own home, or questions that came up for you, please access Spatial Medium on LinkedIn or Instagram. Please be sure to add #12weeksofspacemaking and tag @spatialmedium so I can see what you post!