Letting go of Perfectionism
Many people struggle with perfectionism, including myself. But at what point does chasing perfection become unproductive? Here are some reasons why sometimes it’s better to let go.
Perfection is subjective. When it comes to painting, everyone has a different idea of perfection. Whatever ideal you imagine may not be the same as anyone else’s. Is there any such thing as perfect?
Perfection can stop you from starting or finishing. Sometimes it’s tempting to think, if I can’t do something perfectly, why do it at all? The problem with this mindset is that if you never begin anything nor see it through to completion, you can never improve. Alternatively, if you can do something well enough to make someone else happy, it’s probably something you were meant to do.
Perfectionism makes you obsess over small details, instead of seeing the big picture. I know I have been guilty of fussing over tiny things most people would not notice, instead of working on larger, structural things that are more important.
Perfection stops you from enjoying things. As you improve, the idea of perfection, or the need to eliminate every tiny flaw can stop you from enjoying the process and appreciating how far you’ve come.
Perfection can lead to a worse result. High standards are good because they improve quality of your work. But the relentless quest for perfection can actually cause you to overwork and see things that aren’t there, especially in painting. Sometimes it’s better to keep the freshness and magic, rather than lose it through endless revision.
Perfection makes you harder on yourself than others. For some reason, it’s easy to hold yourself to standards you would never hold anyone else to. You may feel someone else’s quirks are charming while beating yourself up for the same thing. Why we do this, I’m not sure.
Perfection is imperfection. In painting, the imperfect human touch is what makes it special. A painting is often a two dimensional depiction of a three dimensional scene or object. But more that than, it’s an interpretation, a point of view. What did the creator decide to emphasize, leave out, or focus on? What is their personal style? Often, this is more interesting than perfection.
