How Perfectionism Stops You From Creating
Image source Unsplash
None of us like to feel that we are flawed. But for some of us, imperfection is really hard to deal with.
I am a recovering perfectionist. I used to think perfectionism was a valuable trait. I thought that as a perfectionist I was being ambitious, hardworking and diligent, and I mistook perfectionism with striving for excellence.
I would often feel stressed and anxious about getting everything exactly right, and I would feel extremely disappointed when I didn’t meet the unrealistic high expectations I placed on myself.
But perfectionism is not about setting high standards, getting things right, or being meticulous. Perfectionism is a refusal to give yourself permission to move forward.
“The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.”
Striving for perfection in our work can sabotage the very work we wish to create. Perfectionism is one of the biggest barriers to being creative.
The illusion of perfection has only ever led me to create excuses and to procrastinate. I would feel inadequate, telling myself that “I don’t have the right camera. I don’t have the right skills. I need more experience to create better work”.
There will always be an excuse for why you haven’t started yet, why you shouldn’t start yet, or why you can’t create the things you want to create. If you wait for everything to be perfect, you will never pick up your camera, paint brush or pen.
Perfectionism inhibits our creativity, and the best thing to do is to embrace our imperfections and just start working.
When we accept that anything worth doing might even be worth doing badly, we open ourselves up to many more possibilities.
A good image is always better than the masterpiece you never attempted.
“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”
A perfectionist is never satisfied. We falsely believe that the more time we spend making something “perfect” the better it will be.
In the beginning I would rarely, if ever, be pleased with my work. It always felt incomplete, unfinished and never quite good enough. I would get stuck in the tiniest details of what I was creating and overthink every decision.
When you spend all your time at looking for what is wrong or missing, you can easily overlook any progress that you are making.
So, at a certain point, good enough might well be good enough, and you need to let go and move onto the next thing.
“A painting is never finished. It simply stops in interesting places.”
We are all imperfect beings. Neither of us are ever perfect. And so inevitably, our art will be flawed. Imperfection is innate in art, and it is fundamental to our growth and development as artists.
As authors David Bayles and Ted Orland suggest, “the seed for your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece.” These imperfections are needed lessons that will in time take you closer to creating better work.
I cannot say that I am no longer a perfectionist, but I am learning to recognise when perfectionism is hindering me from attempting new things or preventing me from moving forward.
I encourage you to embrace and celebrate your imperfections as a normal part of human life. It’s these flaws, in ourselves and what we create, that make us and our work unique.