Making mistakes

I have been reflecting today on making mistakes. The following quotation is attributed to United States President Theodore Roosevelt: “The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.”Theodore roosevelt I’d quickly like to say that I believe this to be true of both men and women, so today we might substitute the word ‘person’ for the word ‘man’. To be human is to do things – and make things – and we will inevitably make some mistakes as we go. I had lessons in ‘Needlework’ as it was called then during the first year I was at secondary school. I did not enjoy the lessons and when it came to making a garment (in the second year, I think), I remember having to un-pick often. How very strange, then, that many years later I changed direction in mid-life, did a Textiles degree and PGCE and went on to teach a subject now called ‘Textiles’ in school! At every stage, I have had to learn by making mistakes. On my studio wall is a wall-hanging, which includes this…