Card: Release Perfectionism

Landscape: Earth/Belonging

Title of Painting: Daedalus’ Daughter

Interpretation: Are you a recovering perfectionist? (So many of us are.) Befriending our imperfection is a lifelong journey. Perhaps this moment is an opportunity to embrace it as a profound tool for growth rather than a source of shame or embarrassment. Let’s honor our scuffs, bumps, and imperfections as a way to support our learning and un-learning. The writer Jumpha Lahiri reminds us that imperfection is our path to innovation and creativity. Who knows what we might create now that it doesn't have to be perfect!

Deeper Resonance: Daedalus was a great inventor. The famous Greek myth says that he built the Labyrinth for King Minos of Crete, but shortly after finishing it King Minos had Daedalus imprisoned within the labyrinth. He and his son Icarus devised a plan to escape by using wings made of wax that Daedalus had built. They escaped, but Icarus did not heed his father's warnings and flew too close to the sun. This story is often framed through a lens of pride and ambition. This artwork was created as a question: how the story might be re-framed if Icarus was a girl. How might we tell it differently?

Recommended Reading:
The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown