“The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”- Edwin H. Land
I love this quote for so many reasons, one being that it reminds me of how subjective creativity is.
When it comes to staging a home, you have to be willing to look at things in different ways and see what works.
Some ideas will “fail”, though it’s not a failure because everything you try gets you closer to the “right” answer.
Most home staging begins with an idea that you test out.
Which brings me back to the idea of subjectivity.
If you paraded 10 home stagers through a room, the chances are each one would do something slightly different.
While most will notice that there is too much (or too little) furniture, or that there is currently no focal point, they will each bring their own creativity and ideas to the situation.
In other words, there is no single perfectly “right” answer to the question, “how can I best decorate this room to help the house sell quickly?”
Recently I wrote a post called, “Home Stagers What Would You Do in These 4 Rooms?”
I shared some typical “before” shots from my various home staging clients and asked home stagers to test their own staging ideas in four different rooms.
There were tons of great comments from readers about how they’d address the typical home staging problems I showed. It’s a great spot to read some excellent tips to help you as a home stager.
The other thing I love about Land’s quote is that it reminds us that the more creative solutions (and the most exciting results), come from not being afraid to fail.
When I’m choosing colors for a client who isn’t moving, I’ll often come up with two decidedly different looks.
I’ll tell them:
“This choice will work really well and I know you’ll find it easy to live with. This other alternative is much more daring. There’s a risk that you’ll hate it when the room is painted, but at the same time, there’s a big chance that you’ll love it and really say ‘wow!'”
In other words, the “wow” results come from pushing your limits and trying something more daring!
That’s kind of true of life, isn’t it?
We can always stay on the safe and expected path and never rock the boat by doing anything remotely surprising or adventurous.
We might be totally bored, but at least we won’t “fail”. Or so the thinking goes.
In my mind, never stepping out of our comfort zone to learn or try something new, IS a huge failure!
To be endlessly bored is to die a slow death as far as I’m concerned.
What do you think? Please share in the comments below.
Appreciate your presentation of Edwin H.Land’s quote. I needed to hear it. I think I am araid to fail, but you are right – it’s more of a failure of a person doesn’t just get out there and give it a try – whether it’s decorating a room or starting your home staging business. Thanks, Debra.
What makes me creative is the luck of fear of tapping into my own vision. When 35 yrs ago, concrete was the least expensive building material used in underdeveloped countries, I used on a kitchen floor with a design of a tree of life in Iranian Onix inlay, That was a bit to much to take in. Concrete floor in a wealthy neighborhood? Unheard of!!!!
There were to many discouraging comments when explained, but for me the vision of it was like if I was already in front of the finished product. Inhaling the surroundings, mentally being able to step out of the box, and emotionally ready to challenge my own instincts is what makes me a creative person.
I love this example Raquel, it’s perfect! Thanks so much for sharing and for inspiring me with a new article idea! I think I will explore the idea of the subtle difference between a visionary and a “nut” — followers ?
is it called Staging if you want to help people stay in their homes ,but utilize what they already have or help them when they move to a new home to do the same .or show them how to get a high end room on a budget?? just wondering if I need the course for that kind of thing .
You may be a talented home stager Mattie, the question is whether you know how to make a living at it. That’s what the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program is all about. You can learn more about it at https://stagingdiva.com/homestagingcourses.html