Lessons in Imperfection from Block Print-making

Block print by Sophie Michaux made in my recent holiday card workshop

We should expect and embrace imperfection. It’s a lesson I’ve learned from printmaking. When I started making block prints ten years ago I strived for pristine images whose quality met or exceed the vision in my head. Obviously, frustration and suffering followed. Gradually I learned that the random, unpredictable marks and variations that appear in each print are part of their beauty, and I plan for them to emerge. It seems so obvious now, but it wasn’t back then. Lines from carving marks are inherent to the medium, and little boo-boos can be okay, too—they send the message : a human made this, not a robot or a cyborg. And that human isn’t perfect.

Look at Sophie’s New Years card. Sophie has been printmaking for a year and totally embraces the imperfection mindset. Look how the stray green and black marks add to the charm of the image. They say, “This is a block print!” Sometimes it’s easier to see in others’ work: it looks fantastic! That accidental chopped off whisker is cool—instead of trying to fix it, let’s add a green one!

I’m wrong—it’s not sometimes easier to see in others’ work, it’s always. It’s always easier to see the unimportance of perfection in others’ work. It’s a truism that we’re our own worst critics. If you struggle with perfectionism, allow me to suggest block printmaking. It might be the method for you to start letting go of some of that rigidity and embracing chance and even, yes, error!