Misadventure

mis·ad·ven·ture

/ˌmisədˈven(t)SHər/

noun

1. an unfortunate incident; a mishap.

When you think of misadventure you don’t typically picture graceful things and memorable moments. It brings to mind the gentle disruptions and inconveniences that plague your day-to-day. The morning rush to get to work brought to a screeching halt with a lapful of lukewarm coffee. The moment you realize you didn’t plug your phone in before going for your hike. None of these things change the course of your life in an instant but we grow to resent them. They interrupt the idea we have for our picture-perfect selves.

Too often, we look at art or beautifully crafted items and have a vision of how it was created. How delicate and precise the process must be. The idea that these talented people are so wonderful, how can I ever compare even if I practice? What if I told you that is not the case. Every artist has canvases they have painted over. Every photographer has thousands of deleted photos. Every glass artist has broken glass. Not only during the learning process but during the day-to-day process of creative expression. Without those misadventures, there would be no growth.

On our last hike, we got to a spot in the trail where it was rock faces over the river. It was very captivating and the pictures were top of mind. In a fumble of tired hands, I dropped a cord to one of my photo lights. I watched it tumble until it dropped below. My son enthusiastically climbs down and asks for my hiking pole to hook it with. He spent 10 minutes unsuccessfully attempting to retrieve the cord. We rested on the rocks and watched him until he declared, “Mommy, you need to put your cords in a safer place!”. This was true and provided him an opportunity to help, make assessments, and helped me learn a valuable lesson while getting a rest break in.

To challenge you one step further though is to ask you to not only accept misadventures but to embrace them. Look at your daily life or your expressive talents and ask yourself “what more could I get out of my day if I embrace this misadventure?” Could it turn into a fond memory to laugh at later? Could it teach you something? Could I at least get a little bit of my energy or day back by not getting as upset?

Once you start to embrace the misadventures you start to see the beauty of things not appreciated while you are in the moment. Maybe you notice the flowers in your apartment complex that drive your allergies crazy are actually quite delicate and beautiful when it rains. Whatever it is, take an extra moment to absorb the experience.

- MissAdventure