Along that line, John Sexton said in an interview once that one of the most important items in his darkroom is the trash can.
Agreed, though in my case it is a large photocopy box; I seldom empty it, and I refer to it often. I find my mistakes are often better teaching tools than my successful prints.
Tom, on Point Pelee, Canada
Ansel Adams had the Zone System... I'm working on the points system. First I points it here, and then I points it there...