The mark you erase can matter as much as the cut you keep.

What gets removed is part of what gets made. A line drawn and rubbed out has already done its job by showing you where the edge should not be, and the final piece carries that decision even though no trace of it remains. Work is not only accumulation; it is a long series of rejections that leave the good parts standing.

Keep some record of what you tried and abandoned, at least while a piece is in progress. When you doubt a choice later, that record shows you the alternatives you already tested. It also stops you rediscovering a route you rejected for good reason.