Letting go of perfectionism felt like letting myself go, the creative pro equivalent of the sexy single gal who, once married, deteriorates into a frumpy, overweight housewife in a house-dress and curlers. I prided myself on being a perfectionist! I think some part of me understood that my continual striving for perfection was making me miserable, but I couldn’t seem to let it go. Sometimes I wondered if I should just quit. I could make my clients happy, but never myself. The truth was, perfectionism had me frozen. I told myself the problem was simply that I didn’t have time to play anymore, but that was merely a convenient excuse. I had completely lost touch with my creative spirit, and I was burning out, fast. I was a hired gun, no longer created for the joy of it. The only creating I did was on a deadline, at the behest of clients, and to their specifications. My perceived inadequacy became so painful that eventually I just stopped trying. I’d sit down at my drafting table, hungry to make something for the love of it like I used to, but nothing I attempted felt good enough. Over the years, though, as my business grew, I found myself playing less and less. I got into this job because I loved making art, loved playing and exploring with color, shape, and line. A (Recovering) Perfectionist’s Storyīack in the 1990s, I parlayed my art and design skills into a freelance business, creating artworks and graphic design on commission, primarily for private clients. I should know I’m the poster child for perfectionist paralysis. When your ideal vision is one of perfection, it can be painfully paralyzing.
No matter how good you are at what you do, there’s an inevitable gap between your ideal vision and what you’re able to create in reality. Think about it: nothing in life will ever be perfect, so if perfection is your standard, you’re liable to tie yourself in knots. Naturally, messiness has no place in finished client work, but perhaps even more damaging, focusing too much on the perfectionist part is a good way to choke the life out of your creativity. There’s an inherent conflict here, and it’s gotten more than one creative pro in trouble. Our clients expect perfection, and it’s our job to deliver.Īt the same time, our job is to be creative on demand, which requires us to let our creative spirits loose and take action, even if it’s messy and imperfect. We claim the title “perfectionist” as a birthright. Good creative pros take pride in attention to detail.
0 kommentar(er)
