Folds and Creases

The topic of book care has been on my mind as of late. Dog-eared pages. Bent spines. Tattered edges due to constantly being shoved in and out of bookbags. A beverage stain here and there.

I know a lot of fellow readers who would become enraged just reading that. Books are coveted treasures that should remain in pristine condition. And yes, books are treasures, but I think a little wear and tear is completely acceptable. Finding a library book that isn’t perfect always makes my heart a little happy (to a certain extent; I’m not a barbarian). I love books. Don’t get me wrong, I love the smell of old pages and the crisp flip of new ones. I like stacking my books neatly on my shelf to avoid creasing the soft covers or warping the hard ones. Though I believe taking care of a book is different from ending a friendship because someone bent the page edge to mark where they paused. Books are meant to be read. They are meant to be stored in bags to read on the train, folded backward to allow dim lighting to illuminate the words, bent and creased after dropping them time and time again trying to find the perfect reading position. No matter how hard one tries to keep it looking like it just arrived out of the press, it will never be perfect after reading it. Nor should it be. The wear and tear is proof that it was read, that the stories were told, and that someone somewhere lost themselves in the texts. It’s proof that the book was loved.

Love isn’t always pristine and picture perfect. Sometimes it’s creased spines and folded pages. I often seek perfection in my work. I want it to be flawless, but what is a flawless book if not unread? If I keep chasing the idea of perfection, then my books will remain unpublished. If I keep waiting to write or paint until the right motivation strikes, then I will never create. The folds and creases are part of the process, part of the work. They don’t draw away from the piece; they add dimension to it. In a world where perfection is so easily generated, it’s important to remember the folds and creases mean someone somewhere took the time to craft—to work, to learn, to forge—the story.