RSSA spring in my step.
Apr 04
Mistakes are where learning begins. It’s a phrase that’s been getting tossed around a lot in my pedagogy class this semester. I’m pretty sure it’s true. I’m deep in my final semester of grad school and up to my elbows in paper and glue as I take my final thesis from words in my head to a book.
After weeks of editing and design, this weekend I started on construction. I measured and counted and measured and counted. I rearranged and started over. And as I glued the last piece in place, I couldn’t wait to see this beautiful thing I had made. As I shut the book so I could press it (i.e. super-flatten it), I felt it resisting the fold. Panicked, I opened it up to see that my endpapers-painstakingly cut and tipped in-had bunched around the spine. The book wouldn’t close all the way. Though I had measured the spine (at least three times) and allowed extra, it wasn’t enough. In 15 seconds, more hours of work than I care to count flew out the window.
And yet, I didn’t feel despondent. This is why I was making a test copy. To see what would go wrong so I could fix it when it counted. And everything had gone beautifully till that last second. So the good news is that it won’t be difficult to fix.
That moment that have could have turned into a pity party with my best friends anger and frustration reminded me that mistakes are what we learn from. That’s how we learn to problem solve. Frankly, I’m impressed with my ability to remain so rational on so little sleep and with such a short amount of time left till this thing has to be finished. So tonight I’m back to my little binding station to re-work it again so that when it matters, it will be perfect.