Why can’t my first attempts be perfect?

I watched a YouTube about water coloring a meadow. She used a masking marker (I didn’t know these were a thing!) for the flowers. She wet the entire surface before brush stroking the blues, then a variety of greens. She tapped her brush with reds for a splatter. She didn’t even have a liner brush for the stems, but she made do. She explained her leaf making technique and how to add shadows with burnt umber.
The end result here looks nothing like hers.
I compared. And the result was disappointment.
I remind myself she used a quality watercolor paper. Mine’s on an index card. She has probably done this painting more than a few times. This is my first attempt.
With this gentle reminder, I look at this card with fresh eyes. It’s not so bad. And I *learned* some things.
I’m excited to try another now. The more I practice, the better I’ll like the results, I do believe.
Until next time! xox