Tweet

Perfect Imperfections

Written by: Charlie Badenhop

Article Overview: What does being "perfect" mean to you?

Perfect Imperfections

Have you ever caught yourself sitting around thinking that if you were "just" a bit different when it comes to this or that, you would be so much more desirable, wealthy, or good looking? Such conversations can seem so believable while actually being so destructive. What would your life be like if you appreciated your imperfections as the signature of your soul?

On a recent afternoon I went to a pottery shop outside of Tokyo, and happened to meet the head potter who had stopped by to check on her staff.

After looking around the shop I invited the owner over and we chatted. The first thing she talked about was how a potter never knew what was going to wind up coming out of the kiln. "Each kiln opening," she said, "was somewhat like Christmas morning. Sometimes you got many wonderful gifts, and sometimes you wound up with coal in your stocking. Like when most of the pieces explode in the kiln due to severe changes in atmospheric weather conditions."

"It is the serendipity," she said, "that makes the work so magical. It helps you to stay humble, and you learn to surrender to and accept the unknown," she said.

Next, she talked to me about design and functionality. Topics important to most all potters. "No sense in having a good looking piece that is awkward to use, and no sense having a boring looking piece that is highly functional," she said.

Since I was definitely going to buy something, I picked out six pieces to choose from, set them on the counter, and asked the lady to tell me a bit about each piece.

"Let me share with you how I recognize the hoped for imperfections in my work," she said, "by talking about three of the pieces you have interest in."
"Notice with this first piece how the glaze is not of consistent thickness over the inside surface. I tried the best I could to smooth out the glaze," she said, "but this is a very tough glaze to work with."
"Nonetheless, for me, it is the inconsistency of the glaze that makes this piece so interesting," she said. "It is the inconsistency that makes for the range of color that the glaze exhibits in this piece."
"With this next piece you notice that the bowl is not fully round in shape. I am a small woman, and this is a large piece for me to throw on the wheel. In fact it is the biggest piece I am currently able to throw. I love making some this size, because these bowls really test my limits. There is a certain tension present when the shape goes out of being fully round, and this is what draws me to this piece."
"Finally," she said, "with this third piece you will notice that the price is considerably less than the other pieces."_"It is a good piece of work," she said, "but I feel it is a bit 'too good' and thus looks like it could have been machine made. That is why the price is considerably cheaper."
"The shape is perfectly round, and the glaze flows evenly over the entire pot, and thus the piece does not have a sense of uniqueness. I have stopped making this shape and size because I know how to make them all too well. When they come out this perfect I feel like the soul of the pots get left in the kiln."
She bowed ever so much, and said, "Do you have a moment? I have some locally grown strawberries, and it is always best to eat them at this time of year, with a warm cup of tea."

Related Articles
  Only one way to go from here
  UNDERSTAND OTHERS BY UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF
  Tripping Over Stepping Stones
  THE PLIGHT OF THE PERFECTIONIST
  EVERYTHING THATS BEAUTIFUL IS CRACKED THATS HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN

Article Tags: Charlie Badenhop, Executive Coaching, Life Coaching, Seishindo



Related Forum Posts
Re: SmartWoman seeks Fiesty Woman Writers - @shri: Perfect! Yes, I'd be interested! I will email you privately as you described and follow up. Goodie! Vicki
Seems we've got a spammer... - Shoe Perfect is going around posting ads for his site... I'm thinking rather than having a wait before somoene can post again, have a 24-hour delay from the time someone joins, to the time they can post? That might deter people who just want to "hit and run"... in a way that the post-again delay might not.
Re: Books/eBooks for Small Business Owners - Please suggest! - [quote="Evan":2sd857qi]Here's a list of my favorite books: (Wow, I can't quote links either... If the MOD allows it, maybe allow links to your own site for people that can't link, so users can link to forum posts / users, etc.)[/quote:2sd857qi] Perfect. Thank you so much! If anybody has any suggestions to add, please do so. One book I've heard good things about is called "Unmarketing". Anybody have feedback on that?
Re: Are Economic Recessions Good for Franchising? - well, I can't give you any verified stats at the moment. But, it's a fact that as more and more people face layoffs they look in the direction of franchising. These are folks that need the security of a proven business model and have resources to jump into a franchise. It's a clear trend that has been witnessed in past recessions. My concern is that we are not in a simple recession... If you look at a recession as a big storm that will create some havoc and disrupt lives, then the events we're facing in the near future could be a supersized hurricane. We're heading into uncharted waters. High fuel costs, which will probably fluctuate for a while then jump again High debt loads... now in the trillions Sinking housing market... how low will it go? The US war machine is in full swing... with eyes on IRAN All of these factors are clashing to create the Perfect Storm and I don't like it one bit. I tell ya, there's a bunch of madmen at the helm. So how does this bode for franchising? jeez... I don't know... I'm gonna get myself a double scotch on the rocks. Cheers.
Business Start Up - Thanks to Andrew for promoting new businesses and the excellent feedback provided. Having the support of family and friends is vital since you will be counting on these people for their support and feedback alot. Planning, researching your competition, getting great people on board to fill-out areas you may not be particularily knowledgable about (i.e. finances, legal, marketing, technical, etc.) is extremely important. As a start-up, the financial resources may be scarce and these personnel may have to be aquired on an as-needed basis, but it's important to establish and maintain these relationships. Some may be willing to invest their expertise in you with the understanding that their generosity will be returned in kind, don't let these people down. You and your company are only as good as your word. You will have frustrating and joyous days while trying to promote your idea/product, however, keep it in perspective and balance it all with your personal life. Attend chamber of commerce meetings to meet others and to promote your product and existence in the marketplace. Perfect your 'elevator pitch'. Attend related industry trade shows first as an attendee to get a feel of the competition and how your product can be used in horizontal as well as vertical markets. Investigate specific trade shows carefully and determine your return-on-investment before committing to participating as an exhibitor. Branding is vital since it will represent your company for a long time. As related earlier, make sure the company name your anticipating on using hasn't already been registered on the web and that the layout and colors can be reproduced accurately and relatively easily on different mediums such as business cards, letterhead stationary, graphic panels (for trade shows), etc. Best of luck, stay strong! John


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Starting A Set of Books

What I Really Want Is...

Top Ten Home-Based Businesses

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.