Embracing Imperfection in Art: Lessons from a Linocut Print

July 1, 2025

Have you ever remade something--a recipe, a piece of art, a video--only to decide you liked the first one better? Why is that?

The concept is called originality bias: a psychological tendency to favor the first version of something because it feels more authentic or emotionally resonant.

This very thing happened to me while making my latest piece of art.

For the most part, I love that making art leads me to explore and let go of perfection or the goal to have an image turn out in a particular way.

With abstract painting there is a freedom to work more loosely and favor expressive shapes or a certain mood, rather than striving to recreate a precise image. Acrylic paint dries quickly so I can make lots of layers, cover things up, or change my mind and take things in a completely new direction.

Last year I learned to do linocut printmaking, which is a different rhythm. It's more deliberate and careful. I enjoy the meditative process of slowly drawing and carving the design in the linocut block. It's so different from my painting process.

Even after completing the carving, it's a surprise to see what the first printed image looks like after the ink has brought it to life.

I often select close up images of plants and flowers that feel fresh and inspiring for printmaking subjects. For my recent project, I started my linocut with a close-up image of an olive branch. It's a symbol of peace, life, and growth. Timeless beauty, in my mind.

My process:

I traced the image from my photo onto tracing paper
I transferred the image to an easy-cut linoleum block (It's kind of like a big eraser!)
I carved the block and pulled a test print to see how it looked

And...it was a bit messy. Not all the lines came out as I wanted. I was disappointed that the print did not meet my expectations. After all the time I had spent on it! I guess my perfectionist impulse was coming out.

So, I decided to start over and make it again.

This time I traced the image even more carefully and went over all the details, trying to make the leaves a little more realistic.

After pulling the print from the second block...I realized I liked the first one better!

Why? Originality bias! The second one was technically more precise, but less alive. It lacked the freedom and movement that the first one had. Expressive shapes and a sense of freedom and movement have been important themes in my work. Sometimes it's the imperfections that make things interesting.

This experience reminded me that art isn't always about polished ideas or perfection. It's about honoring the energy and feeling of what shows up.

So for this print? I'm choosing the first block. It might not be perfect, but it's just how I like it.

Author: Katie Weaver

PS - I took it a step further and embellished the print with a bit of paint and paper to make it feel even more fresh and lively. See my linocut prints here.

Country/region