From the way I wrote my 5’s to how I piped icing shells, I have always been a perfectionist, until now. As I entered my art studio, the smell of the fresh paint awakened my foggy senses. With the Scholastic art competition in just a few months, I was ready to work. In front of me sat an empty canvas, begging me to fill it with the ideas that I had, which were… none? It takes so much effort when a person is both an artist and a perfectionist--even the slightest mistake can ruin my whole attitude towards a painting. I sat in frustration and practiced painting face anatomy, my weakest area. My painting took the forms of three people with facial expressions displayed from different angles. A few days later, the skin tones were finally laid down. Thankfully, the current piece was an artwork that I started to like. The skin tones consisted of just the right amount of lighting and shadow. It’s as close to perfect as I can make it. My body tingled with excitement--I couldn’t wait to submit this to the competition! Interrupting my moment of triumph, I noticed the little boy next to me. Suddenly, he accidentally splashed three huge and irregular splatters of paint on my canvas. Like waves on a beach, paint droplets crashed onto my beloved piece of art. He looked at me and chuckled slightly. I found myself holding my breath, and suddenly the only noise I could hear was my heart pounding with terror. No, this cannot be happening right now. The competition’s deadline was quickly approaching, and my perfect piece was now ruined. I don’t have time to restart, and I felt devastated. Wait, do I even need to? What I thought was an imperfection in my artwork turned out to be purposeful. Even though the colors were on the opposite sides of the color wheel, they blended in perfect harmony. Although the kid’s paint splatters may have seemed inconsequential to most, they taught me how to quickly adapt to new situations. I realized what makes life so interesting is the unpredictability of what it has to offer. Since then, I now have a more optimistic perspective on school, work, and of course, art. Every day brings a new set of challenges, and I can’t wait to tackle tomorrow’s paint splatter!