My Favorite Mistake
Bug squashing might help to make a decent product, but it’s not the secret for making a great one.
Ken Kocienda • Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs
marmalade was not made on a commercial scale until the beginning of the eighteenth century, when stormy weather forced a Spanish ship laden with Sevilles to take shelter in the harbour at Dundee. James Keiller, a local grocer, bought the cargo at a very low price, only to discover that the oranges were sour, not sweet, and he was unable to sell the
... See moreHelena Attlee • The Land Where Lemons Grow
the icing on the cake at his first birthday. I have only the testimony of Isaac’s face to go by (that, and his fierceness to repeat the experience), but it was plain that his first encounter with sugar had intoxicated him—was in fact an ecstasy, in the literal sense of that word. That is, he was beside himself with the pleasure of it, no longer her
... See moreMichael Pollan • The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
The Annunciation shows Leonardo, still in his early twenties, experimenting with light, perspective, and narratives involving human reactions. In the process, he made some mistakes. But even the mistakes, which came from innovating and experimenting, heralded his genius.