I’m re-reading that wonderful graphic novel by Charlier Mackesy. It’s absolutely wonderful stuff, and one of the best things about it is that it is possible to dip into it and savour it a spoonful at a time. This afternoon I landed on the following.
“Do you have a favourite saying?” asked the boy.
“Yes” said the mole.
“What is it?”
“If at first you don’t succeed, have some cake.”
“I see. Does it work?”
“Every time.”
The truly wonderful, subtle thing about this is that it challenges that awful view that if you encounter a problem or a failure, you have to try harder. You need to beat yourself up and try again. No: be kind to yourself. This should certainly be a central item of art education.