Perfectionism is a killer to creativity. I have watched it happen with friends and students. I have experienced myself. Just Monday night I was talking to the intern in my pottery class. She never finishes any of her painting because she is worried that she won't get it "right." Yesterday I talked to a former student who shared that she could not create "serious" art until she had the "perfect" studio. It did not seem to matter to her when I shared that for years I created on a small rickety card table set up between my washer and dryer. Or that I always travel with handwork of some kind. I wish I could have made her believe a little more in her abilities and less the need for the "perfect" place to create. Hopefully she will realize this sooner than later. Thanks to everyone who shared that perfectionism has been a problem too. It is good not to be alone and have support.
Julia Cameron in her book Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance said it best. “Perfectionism doesn't believe in practice shots. It doesn't believe in improvement. Perfectionism has never heard that anything worth doing is worth doing badly--and that if we allow ourselves to do something badly we might in time become quite good at it. Perfectionism measures our beginner's work against the finished work of masters. Perfectionism thrives on comparison and competition. It doesn't know how to say, 'Good try,' or 'Job well done.' The critic does not believe in creative glee--or any glee at all, for that matter. No, perfectionism is a serious matter.”
Here is to gleeful creating with no need for being perfect!
And once again I'm participating in Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Fridays.
