When We Feel We Missed the Mark: Thoughts on Disappointment and Missed Opportunities in Work We've Already Finished

Photography by Bruce Busia

There is a quiet moment shortly after completing something, where we step back, take stock of and try to look at what we have created. In this phase of introspection-slash-postmortem, we invariably find those long shadows that loom over 'what could have been'— like a symphony of missed notes and unsung melodies. This realization doesn’t always announce itself loudly; it lingers like a gentle, disapproving sigh floating around in our consciousness, acknowledging disappointments and missed opportunities in work we believed finished.

But within this mind space, there is wisdom, a silent mentor in the echoes of our creative endeavors. It teaches us that perfection is a myth, that it is unattainable yet necessary for dedication to any craft, a sign of respect towards those being created for.

The brush strokes we did not land, the code we could have optimized, the one pixel out of alignment or the perfect word that eluded us then came to mind too late, they all do not represent failure. They are merely detours from our expectations, scenic routes unfolding through our creative landscapes.

Embracing these shortcomings requires some exercise in self-acceptance and gratitude and acknowledgement of our own accomplishments. It means understanding that the beauty of our work lies in its humanity, its imperfections. It means recognizing that each missed opportunity forges a path for growth, a promise for a richer palette, refined code, and perhaps more poignant stories.

As creators, we learn, iterate, and evolve. We have gone through the process of bringing something new into existence, emerging a little wiser, a little more self-aware and a little more capable, thus one step closer to ever elusive ‘mastery’.

From there we build new beginnings upon these silent epilogues, finding solace in the realization that our creative journey does not end at a project’s completion, but is merely a stepping stone towards our next endeavor, where we will once again give ourselves new and different, but beautiful marks to aim at, some of which we will (quite certainly, quite humanly) miss.