Introduction
Our art form is pretty demanding, isn’t it? Capturing the equine realistically is probably one of the toughest forms of art ever. Ooof. Compounding matters, we’re pretty demanding of ourselves as well. With our inspiring visions and our own lofty ideals and goals, we set our bars unbelievably high. Double oof. Then exacerbating all that, we have hot competition in the mix that makes comparative judgments on “better,” whatever that means. Triple ooof. Now add into all that the nature of what we’re arting on: Probably expensive OFs and ARs, maybe even a bisque ceramic. In other words, things we don’t want to mess up. Quadruple oof. It’s a lot. Really — it’s a lot. Perhaps it’s too much. Because smash all this together and that ugly monster, perfectionism, rises from the muck to turn us all into Don Quixotes chasing impossible windmills. It’s no surprise then why we have a creative crisis in our community, or put another way, a systemic perfection paralysis that only seems to get worse every year.
To really deep dive it, one even gets a strong sense of a real tangible fear of creativity out there — people are actually afraid to even start something let alone finish it. More times than not then, it seems to be this hellbent perfectionism — of not messing up — at the festering base of it all. If we can squish it then, can we encourage more people to take up tool and brush? Maybe!
So to that end let’s talk about this perfectionist phenomenon in depth and even better, let’s explore twenty-five actionable strategies that can short-circuit this paralysis mess. Because the community needs your art! We need you creating and expressing and exploring! It’s good for you, it’s good for the community, and it’s good for our art form! So let’s explore all this to jumpstart your arting so you, too, can bask in art joy!
What Is perfectionism?
Curiously, it's not so easy to pin down a specific definition as one person’s experience can be quite different from another’s. But if we want to distill it down into the simplest terms, we can think of perfectionism this way: The pursuit of excessively, even impossibly high, unrelenting perceived standards.
On paper that sounds great, doesn’t it? Like just what the doctor ordered for our exacting art form, right? Well, in practice it’s a whole ‘nuther kettle of fish. You see, perfection often doesn’t lead to better work, as odd as that sounds. There is such a thing as overworking a piece, and overworking is the surest way to ruining your work. Also, “perfection” is typically a strange ambiguity in the mind of the artist so as they kill themselves trying to get things “just so,” halfway would’ve been more than sufficient for the brilliance of the piece, and even for everyone else.
So then what is perfection paralysis?
When we allow perfectionism to get out of control, it’s going to paralyze our efforts. Indeed, this creative inertia is inevitable when we’re rooted in a fear of making mistakes, under high pressure to excel, and all in the pursuit of an unattainable goal. Really, would we train a horse this way? No? Then why apply it to ourselves?!
Because instead of getting us to create the best work we can muster, perfectionism tends to generate fear. Yes — actual, tangible fear. Fear of mistakes. Fear of shame. Fear of humiliation. Fear of disappointment. Fear of those ugly voices in your head. Fear of your past. Fear of messing up. Fear of ruining a model. Fear of struggle. Fear of criticism. Fear of the outcome should you fail or even if you succeed. Fear of “I’m not enough.” Fear of many things when you break it down. And that fear can burble up in many different ways such as procrastination, insecurities, impostor syndrome, avoidance, artistic plateaus, creative stagnation, displaced frustration, fixation on the achievements of others, comparisons, fighting deadlines, lashing out, spinning our wheels and not calling “done,” chasing external validation, quitting mid-way, and incessant distraction.
Now scoop all that up and we typically end up with a bowlful of low self-esteem, high self-doubt, loads of fear, heaps of negative self-talk, and the cherry on top of this ugly sundae, that “I’m not enough” sentiment. Hardly the heady promise perfectionism first presented us, huh? That’s a lot of negative feedback for being creative! No, thank you! No wonder so many avoid it!
And here’s the tricky bit: Perfectionism can feel highly productive. But it isn’t. Not by a long shot. This is because perfectionism camouflages itself as ambition, but the truth is, it’s rooted in fear. As such, this fuels procrastination or avoidance. Really, if you’re going to mess it up, why start? If it won’t be perfect, it’s not worth doing, right? Or if you can’t get it perfect, why finish? But inaction doesn’t get the arting done. Delays won’t meet your goals. Hesitation or spinning wheels won’t finish the piece. So the enemy of your progress isn’t a lack of talent or skill, it isn’t even laziness or distraction. It’s perfectionism masquerading as help.
From a scientific perspective, Dr. Brené Brown’s research into vulnerability and shame found that perfectionism is a defense mechanism. If we create perfect pieces, we’ll avoid failure, rejection, judgment, and criticism and gain praise and standing. But the actual truth is that perfection isn’t protective or promoting of all the good stuff — it’s paralyzing. Neurologically, this is because perfectionism activates the amygdala — your brain’s fear center — triggering the fight-flight-freeze response, putting you in survival mode. In other words, rather than diving into problem-solving and action-taking, your brain defaults into avoidance. Quite literally then, the more you care about success and achievement, the more perfectionism takes over, actually putting you into a kind of creative panic. Hardly a good scenario for creative joy! And a terrible scenario for getting pieces started or finished.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Now yes — it’s important to work towards your goals and put forth your best effort, but if we’re unaccepting of mistakes or we base our self-worth on the perfection of the outcome only, no wonder we run into problems. There is a better way.
Outward Pressure for Perfection
That said however, we must acknowledge that we live in a culture that values success and frowns on failure. Social media amplifies all this by literally presenting highlight reels of highly curated content. Like we’ll see the finished piece someone posted, but we won’t see all the struggle, mistakes, frustration, and messiness that went into it. Likewise, we operate in a community that values correctness or high quality and rejects incorrectness or poor quality. And we cannot deny this: Perfection can excel in the show ring, in the market, and in brand building. We can’t ignore that.
But on the flip side, what does all that even mean? Like when we have technical and artistic masterpieces meeting with crickets while lesser works meet with wild praise, what’s perfect? It seems that perfection is simply an arbitrary determination based on whatever seems to appeal to most people, and that can have absolutely nothing to do with what’s actually high quality or correct.
We also can’t deny that the very best of our works definitely set a very high bar, or so it seems. Even impossibly high bars for many people, or so it seems. But whatever the perceived perfection of our best pieces, there’s this flip side to them, too: None of them are actually perfect, by definition. They were all made by foible human hands and therefore are intrinsically imperfect, no matter how perfect they may appear. Trust me, for every piece that seems without a flaw, it does have them. They always do — and it’s that a wonderful thing? As Scott Christian Sava observes…
You learn to accept the mistakes. The imperfections. Allowing the mistakes and imperfections to remain helps you to be more comfortable with them. And the more comfortable you become with your imperfections, the less they FEEL like imperfections. Those wonky eyes or the odd color choices start to make your art feel unique. Maybe even bold or avant-garde, as the critics may say. Learning to let your art not be perfect may be exactly what you need in your quest of finding your own voice.
There’s this phenomenon, too: Only you see the imperfections in your work. Everyone else? Well, they mostly see a beautiful piece of equine art. We’re all our own worst critics, aren't we? Yup. Well, quit it. If I had a dollar for every time an artist pointed out the flaws in their work that appear perfectly gorgeous to me, I could buy a vast herd of Welsh Ponies. So never forget that most people simply don’t see your work the way you do. In fact, everyone will perceive your work in their own way as they bring their own inner landscape to the table. Let them. Just always consider this — are you too close to your piece? Now this isn’t a bad thing per se. You’re the artist and your art is your baby — a beautiful connection. However, if that connection distracts you, that does become a liability. So try to keep things in perspective…what you’re perceiving as “fiddly flaws” are probably just perfectly fine to everyone else.
Perfectionism Is A Form Of Anxiety
Believe it or not, perfectionism isn’t this romanticized pursuit of the highest standards in some high brow way. Sure, we like to tell ourselves that, but that’s not what’s actually happening thanks to that pesky amygdala. Instead, what’s more likely happening is that perfectionism is feeding off and triggering our anxiety, and that’s a very different equation. In fact, studies have found a possible link between perfectionism and anxiety, as in those with anxiety disorders tend to have more perfectionist tendencies. We can’t deny that the unrelenting drive to meet the various high expectations can increase the anxiety we already have. In fact, the relationship between anxiety and perfectionism can be so acute, there’s actually a cycle associated with it:
- You set excessively high, even unattainable goals.
- You don’t meet those unrealistic goals.
- You procrastinate or avoid finishing.
- Your self-esteem lowers thanks to negative self-talk and self-criticism, which leads to more anxiety, avoidance, even depression.
- You restart with a new piece, but with the similar excessive expectations and restart the cycle.
Sounds familiar? If I had a dollar for every time someone told me about their unfinished piece because they quit out of disillusionment, I’d be able to buy an entire antique carousel. But again, it doesn’t have to be this way! You can start and finish each and every piece you pick up with some straightforward strategies! And we start with some hard realizations, which brings us to…
MythBusting
It’s time for some perfectionism myth busting! These are some actual truths about perfectionism we should realize before we ever hope to beat it. Know thy enemy, my friend! So let’s get started…
#1 Perfectionism isn’t what you think it is
Most folks interpret perfectionists as those who don’t make mistakes, are high achievers in their chosen pursuit, and are highly motivated to get the job done properly. But the evidence doesn’t bear that out. Instead, there’s a very clear correlation between perfectionism and procrastination and of subpar performance from overworking and overthinking everything. Perfection doesn’t lead to action, let alone better action, it leads directly to all the things we need to avoid.
#2 Recognize that perfection isn’t real
Perfection is an illusion, a fraud, and a delusion. There. I said it. And I’d say it again if I had to. And it’s true. Quite literally, there's no amount of hard work, study, determination, or sacrifice that can make our piece perfect. It’s all a lie, one that keeps you stuck and spinning your wheels. Why is that? Because perfection is completely unattainable. We are fallible human beings and so anything we create will be imperfect. That’s just the way of it. Only Nature can create a perfect equine, only DNA has that power. Everything we ever recreate then will simply be an imperfect facsimile, a flawed interpretation. What’s more, and perhaps more pointed, “perfect” means different things to different people. What is perfect to one person will be flawed to another. Like put a “perfect” piece in front of five savvy judges or educated artists and each will pick out different errors based on their own knowledge bases, blindspots, strengths, allowances, biases, and aesthetics. There's just no amount of finesse or knowledge that can accurately recreate our subject perfectly! Even the PAM, one of the most beloved OFs in our history, is flawed anatomically and conformationally. Yet look how we love her all the same (that’s a key understanding, by the way).
#3 Confidence isn’t something you think or feel into being
You don’t just get confident. It’s not a state you can't just decide into existence. The brain doesn’t work that way. Nope. You have to do it the hard way — confidence only comes with the doing of it, not by the thinking about it. You have to do it. You see, research shows that you gain confidence by doing confident things, that you build confidence through action. In other words, your brain interprets bold action as confirmation, as evidence. So just do the thing! Fake it ‘till you make it is literally how it works.
Besides, confidence is overrated anyway. You don't even need it to start. Just do it. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can," said Arthur Ashe. Yep! Like when I took my wheel throwing classes, I had zero experience and zero confidence, but I just jumped in head first all the same. I’ve been making a lot of mistakes, but I learn as I go. Sometimes I’ll even make the same mistake again as I learn — that’s normal and expected. So much of what we do in our art is “by feel,” and learning that zone just takes a lot of repeated doings to finesse it. But the takeaway is this: It's in the doing that I'm building my confidence pot by pot.
What’s more, there’s a far more important form of confidence beyond simply the “I know I can do this well” kind of confidence. This better form is the “I may fail but I know I can bounce back” kind of confidence. That’s the brand that’s going to get you where you need to go!
#4 You don’t have to show your art to anyone
You can create your art only for you to see! There’s no rule that says you have to show it to anyone for it to be real art. Indeed, tons of artists in the past sat on art that no one saw until their deaths. The point is to just get arting. Who cares if anyone sees it, right? Create your art for yourself.
In fact, you can even throw your art out! If you don’t like it — chuck it. There’s no law saying it has to stick with you forever. Like if you do sketches you don’t like, throw them out. If you create a paintjob that makes you gag, primer over it and start over.
#5 The end product isn’t the point of being creative
This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s true: Your finished piece is only incidental, it’s not the point of creating art in the first place. The real point of arting is the process, the making of the art, the exploration, the analysis, the journey, the experience. You see, the creative process is good for your brain, body, and soul as research has found time and again. In a very real sense, it’s a form of therapy and rehabilitation that just happens to burp out a finished thing at the end of the creative cycle. Make the process the point then and forget about the rest. If you do that, the finished piece will simply make itself.
#6 Failure isn’t final
You’re the maker here! And you often get multiple second chances or error-fixing opportunities. So simply start again! Fix the errors as you go or start a whole new piece, bringing those fresh lessons to the table. Absolutely, failure is just the beginning, isn’t it? Mistakes aren’t the end…they’re the lesson! They’re the tidbits you needed to flesh out your skillset so recognize them, learn from them, and move forwards again. Indeed, the human brain is wired to learn by making mistakes, so be grateful for each lesson learned. “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents,” said Bob Ross. Absolutely! If anyone understood the power of just diving in and arting, it was ol’ Bob!
#7 There is no high bar
Like in The Matrix — there is no spoon. The bar is an illusion. Why? Because we work in an art form of moving goal posts. So there’s only your bar — your expectations, goals, and vision. So stop comparing your work to others! It’s a pointless, destructive thing to do as it erodes your art joy and introduces unnecessary doubt. It also misguides you and lies to you. It can even compromise your precious Voice and get you lost in the weeds. Because the truth is you’re doing better than you think you are, and what you think of as The High Bar is merely your perfectionist baggage talking again. Instead then think about how you can improve on your own work, looking at your past pieces for clues to the next stepping stones.
#8 100% is the only option
No. No, it is not. Not doing something because you feel you can’t reach 100% is better how as compared to doing something 70% and completing it? Which one actually gets you arting? Which one completes the piece? And okay, so it’s 70% effort — so what? Sure it has a few hiccups, big deal. What piece doesn’t? And did you enjoy creating it? Did it bring you sanctuary, calm, and fascination? If so, that’s a 100% win! And the fact of the matter is this — no one cares if you invested 100% or 70%! All they’ll see is a beautiful piece and that’s darn well good enough.
#9 Good, real artists aren’t afraid like I am
Oh boy — no way. As Scott Christian Sava astutely shares…
Every artist feels insecure in their art and abilities. Every artist has doubts. Imposter syndrome. Fear of not being good enough. Every. Single. One. Of. Us. But the world would be so much less beautiful if we let that stop us from making art. We need to be content with wherever we are on our artistic journey. Don't allow insecurity to keep you from enjoying your art. You're on a journey. You and your art. Grow together. Explore together. Learn together. And share the beauty inside of you together. Through your art.
Heck, I’ve been at this for over thirty years and I’m still intimidated with the start of every new piece! And I wager that’s true for darn near every single artist, no matter how successful. You are far from alone in your fear. Because really, it’s asking a lot of us to take that perfect vision in our head and make it real — that’s a lot for the Universe to ask. But it’s a brilliant, beautiful ask, and it’s one you should answer with your most self-compassionate, best effort. It’s good for you.
Consider this, too, "Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don't let these feelings stop them," said T. Harv Eker. It's true...successful artists simply learn to sit with their fear and create anyway. Indeed, there comes a point when not arting becomes a real liability to your well-being and the scales tip, and so you just start creating despite it all. It's when we don't indulge that follow through that we run into real problems that affect our daily lives. It's a worthwhile ponder to consider just how your untapped creativity is burbling up in other aspects of your life, perhaps in unwanted ways. Indeed, think about how you would feel if you were really creative again or for the first time. Think how lovely that could feel.
#10 I have to customize the perfect expensive OF or Resin to create the perfect model
Nope! You can buy a $10 Breyer off eBay, input a decent enough prepwork and paintjob on it, and still have a good shot in the ring! Now yes, what mold you pick can make a big difference, but the fact is that many great molds are the old ones which are super cheap as bodies. Like all the Maureen Love OFs — I’ve bought a beaten up Classic MoW off eBay for $5. And who cares if you mess up a $5 body? As you gain experience and confidence then on the cheap bodies, you can think about upscaling to more expensive ones like modern Breyers and Stones, maybe even some Resins. The point is — start small and modest, and work your way up. But I’ve seen so many well-customized cheap old bodies just smash the competition, so don’t sabotage yourself by thinking you need to spend big bucks! There’s lots of great sculptures out there at a fraction of the price that present a lot less intimidation-factor and a whole lot more accessibility.
And if you have a hard time messing up a perfectly nice OF, have someone else take some sandpaper to it to ruin it. Hey, I know it can be hard if you like the factory paintjob on a pristine body, so just get it junked up somehow and off you go! Skid it across the driveway even. Plus a lot of the cheapest bodies are already messed up from their years of wear and tear. Yahtzee!
#11 If I don’t make something perfect, people will think less of me
Hey — ease up on yourself. That’s your negative self-talk speaking, not reality. The thing is, you made something brand new and original, something that’s never existed before! You did that! How amazing! It’s literally a miracle in your hands! And it’s wholly yours, your Voice and your vision! How cool is that?! No matter how good or bad it is then, if anyone has a problem with that, it’s a them problem at that point. That a vulnerable, frail human being gutted it out to create a piece of art is probably one of the most beautiful things to ever happen in all existence! And that’s all on you! What a marvel! And believe me when I tell you that you can get flack just as much if you create work that’s “too good.” You literally can’t win for losing. So why even care about external validation? Who cares what people think? Really, the only person you should be pleasing with your work is…you! You’re the only one who matters in this feedback equation! “The audience comes last,” says Rick Rubin, and he’s absolutely right.
But now okay, yeah — let’s take that “think less of me” idea to a logical limit. Let’s say you do create something abysmally bad. Welcome to the club! Anyone who has ever arted in all of time has been there before! Been there, done that. It’s nothing new. There's no artist ever who didn’t have a bad art day every now and again. Even the most successful among us. It’s part of the mystery of arting. So going even further into the logic — so what? Really, so what? So you created something horrendous. No big whoop. Learn from it, fix it if you can, move forwards. Correct as you go or even start over or do better next time, it’s simply part of the process. No artist ever gets it right all the time, there are always corrections made along the way. And yes, it may look like magic to you, but just remember there’s a lot of mistaken scrawls behind every bold line!
#12 If I work hard enough, I can make every piece perfect
As unlikely as it sounds, that’s a big nope. That’s not how it works. The mystery and magic of making art is far more convoluted. Look here’s the deal: You’re going to make some “bad” art no matter how hard you work at it. Every artist — even the best ones — all make problematic art from time to time. That’s simply the nature of arting. Like I’ve seen so many pieces where the artist invested days, weeks, months, even years of diligent, ardent work, and it still has issues, and it’s often still not “perfect” in their eyes either. The hard fact is this: All the hard work in the world won’t ever make a piece perfect. That’s not how you create perfection. If there’s anything I’ve learned in over thirty years doing all this as a perfectionist myself, it’s this: You come closest to perfection from knowing the rules well enough to allow serendipity to bend them organically. That’s to say, when you get really good at what you do, you tend to create from your gut, not from your mind. Now yes, it takes a lot of work to get there — and it’s important to invest that kind of work — but the point is this: Loosen up on yourself and allow your guts to start taking over. Your artistic intuition is more on point than you know.
But yeah, you’re going to make bad art! And that’s perfectly okay — that’s normal! Every artist does! As Scott Christian Sava assures us…
You’re human. You can't expect everything to be perfect. Don't put that kind of pressure on yourself by thinking you will never make a mistake and never make bad art. You're going to make LOTS of bad art! Horrendous art. Stupendously ugly art. Gloriously contemptuous art. It. Will. Happen. And you're going to attempt to fix it. You're going to try everything to make it work. You're going to invent techniques no one has ever even conceived of to try to save your art. And...it won't work. Not always. But sometimes it will. And it will be the greatest thing ever. You'll add that technique to your "bag of tricks" for when the next big goof-up happens. You'll keep making huge abominations, and you'll keep trying to fix them, and sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. That's art.
Twenty-Five Strategies for Beating Perfectionism
Luckily for us, there are lots of ways to break the perfectionism paralysis cycle! If we adopt just one of them, we’ll have gained a powerful new foothold — use it. But if we adopt all of them, we become an unstoppable arting machine, cranking out work with a lot more clarity and ease. This is because perfection cannot flourish in the artistry of someone who’s fully got ‘em all hummin’ along. So what’s left to fill that vacuum? Your unbridled creativity, that’s what! So let’s dive into these myriad strategies to get you back into the studio happily and productively arting away!
#1 Adopt the Japanese concept of impermanence and imperfection, wabi-sabi. This is perhaps the most powerful single resource in our arsenal because it’s not so much a strategy as a philosophy, and being so, takes up the proverbial chair where perfection would sit. Indeed, there is no perfectionism that can take root in the creative mind run by wabi-sabi! But what is exactly wabi-sabi? Well, it’s the acceptance that nothing is permanent and everything is imperfect, and therefore is all the more beautiful and meaningful for it. Just as much, it’s the belief that the creative process is more important than the product, or rather the deeply felt experience of arting overrides the need for a perfect outcome. In actuality then, if you truly practice wabi-sabi, you’ll create a gorgeous piece automatically, despite all its inevitable flaws which only make it more unique and special anyway. So you win either way! In essence, the end product is merely incidental, the real gift is in the doing. To this end then, regularly practice activities that aren’t goal-oriented insofar as having to be perfect or even good. Like go to a paint n’ sip where you don’t make masterpieces — on purpose — you make memories. Now sure, this may make a perfectionist uncomfortable, but do it enough times in the right spirit, and you’ll soon learn that no one dies if it’s not perfect! No one dies! And you’ll quickly re-orient your attention on the process and experience rather than on the end product, where your attention is best applied.
#2 Focus on the progress you’re making with each attempt rather than on how perfect it is. Remember, perfection is subjective and unattainable, so strive for progress instead. Indeed, practice doesn’t make perfect, it can just make you better than your last attempt. But this is called growth, and it’s one of the best parts of arting! You see, “doing your best” isn’t the same as being perfect! “Doing your best” is very much a moment-based expectation, not measured against some impossible objective standard of perfection. So yes…do your best with the understanding that it’s not only imperfect, but even more, it’s progressing. So do your best work you can at that moment rather than aiming for perfection, and your work will only get better. That’s a pretty solid actionable goal. Indeed, progress is always preferable over perfection! You deserve to feel productive, too. You’re working hard on your art, and you deserve to feel proud of it, even when it’s not perfect. But the truth is, perfect is never the goal, impact is! If you’ve moved someone with your art in any way, that right there is a perfect outcome in an imperfect world! Your work doesn’t need to be perfect to do this either…it just needs to be created and finished.
#3 Set realistic, achievable goals rather than aiming for perfection, and celebrate each small victory along the way. In other words, practice compromise with yourself so you find a middle ground of actionable objectives rather than all-or-none thinking. So rather than thinking endlessly about that silver tobiano Classic Arabian Mare you have planned that needs to be absolute perfection, simply grab the body and start sanding. Let each stage exist on its own terms, and just get it done. Like I remember in my lamp-making class, a gal was obsessively getting her pattern absolutely perfect on her paper template without considering that it’s going to get messed up anyway as she applied it to the glass globe. Remember what matters and just get it done.
#4 Embrace all mistakes as moments of learning, of lessons from the Universe given to you. They are your stepping stones to progress, are part of the learning process and opportunities for growth. In this light, mistakes are gifts, aren’t they? They aren’t the end — they’re the beginning! Frame them that way and you now have a powerhouse of progress!
#5 Practice art play rigorously! Something that’s zero pressure and all play. No expectations and absolutely no need for perfection. For example, do some casual silly sketches for fun, nothing major, nothing precious. Just sketch and play around for kicks and no pressure. See where it takes you and what sort of inspirations it generates. Or not. Whatever. Just have fun with it! Or go to a paint n’ sip. That’s two hours out of your head, smearing pigment on a canvas with a bunch of other people just having fun, too. And most of all, futz around and find out with your art methods and aesthetics. Experiment and explore the possibilities, stretching your media and techniques in new directions. Ask “what if?” Or try whole new media and techniques for kicks! You never know what you’re truly possible of doing until you futz with it. Even better, draw with your kids. Kids get creativity like no other! You can even audit some classes so you can see how other folks struggle as you do, and even more, how they overcome those struggles.
#6 Always — always — practice self-compassion, especially when things don’t go as expected. In this, learn to laugh things off best you can and take a deep breath, and try again. So next time you have those intrusive perfectionist thoughts creep in, speak to yourself as a kind, guiding mentor would:
- I’m doing my best now. Go, me!
- Look at me! Putting so much earnest effort into this!
- It’s okay to make mistakes — I’m human and an art explorer and lifetime learner!
- I celebrate my quirks without being judgmental — I am enough!
Self-compassion also involves self-acceptance of all of you from your strengths to your pesky aspects of your personality. We’re human and so making mistakes — of not being perfect — and learning from them is an essential part of that. It’s how we grow and develop, and reach our potential. So embrace your uniqueness! Celebrate your individuality and specialness! Also focus on your strengths and resilience, and remind yourself of those often. Also consider sharing your creative experiences. Not only learning you aren’t alone in your struggles is beneficial, but the potential for learning, growth, and connection is huge as well, possibly turning a negative into a big positive!
#7 Beating perfectionism requires that we disrupt all-or-nothing thinking that can lead to procrastination. So break down whatever is scary to you into the tiniest, actionable steps. Truly tiny steps. Minuscule steps. Very chewable little bites and chew. So start small. Then only focus on that one step, not five steps ahead. This will help you from getting overwhelmed which spins you into a fearful inertia of avoidance. So maybe instead of being paralyzed with the thought of painting a wild sabino Classic Arabian Stallion, spend thirty minutes searching for reference photos and admiring the pretty ponies. Or rather than getting overwhelmed by painting that Adonis a buckskin overo, focus instead on just sanding those seams acceptably. Heck, focus on just sanding one leg if need be. Deconstruct it all down to the simplest, most achievable, bite-sized steps. You see, the problem is you’re probably seeing The Big Picture but that contains all the intimidating or tedious or annoying stuff, and it’s hard to reconcile that with this masterpiece in your mind. Seeing the job in too much detail can trigger our perfectionism in really overwhelming ways that can ironically spook us off the job all together. Don’t let that happen! Zoom in on just one detail at a time, and work on that. Baby steps are still travel miles, they’re still progress! Truly, if you did anything on your piece today, no matter how small, that’s tangible progress. And doesn’t it feel great to feel that accomplishment and cross that little task off your mental list? Indeed, micro-actions start the gears going and small victories build big momentum, so engineer your chewable bites accordingly. Absolutely, action and momentum are antidotes to perfectionism!
#8 As you work, experience the feeling of finishing that task, how good it actually feels. This is especially handy when doing tedious work such as sanding or ticking. In other words, as I’m sanding away the seams on my maquettes, I get through that tedious task by riding on the emotional high I generate by pretending I’m working on the very last part, all the time. This helps to keep my momentum going and helps me to muscle through a task I’m not so hip on doing.
#9 Learn to start blind. In other words, learn to just start working. Just go! You like painting the eyes best? Great — start there! There’s no law that says that eyes have to be painted last, right? Follow your endorphins where they want to go and don’t think too hard about things — just do things and go with the flow no matter how “out of order” it seems. Eventually, it’ll all meld and flow together and make sense in the end. And at that point, you have something rather than nothing at all, and you can work with that, can’t you? You can build on that! But the point is this: Just start wherever, in whatever way moves you, and develop from there.
#10 Learn the deft skill if saying, “Screw it, it’s good enough.” In other words, learn adeptly how and when to call “done.” Now granted you can’t go bananas with this because we can’t get apathetic or careless, right? But even still, stay sensitive to that special point in the process when the piece becomes truly done, when nothing can be improved by added work, and walk away. Let it go. Celebrate your accomplishment — you did it! — and then move onto the next one. No, stop fiddling with it or you’ll overwork it and ruin it! Call done. Let it live as it was meant to live. You see, if your piece could have turned out any other way — it would have! It was meant to turn out the specific way at that moment as deemed by the Universe, so let it be as it was meant to be, and be grateful for the experience and the lessons.
#11 Understand that art is a process, an exploration, not an end game. So immerse yourself in the process of making art, not in the perfection of it. And recognize that everything will make sense in the end despite all the multiple ugly stages and eyebrow raising steps you have to endure with the piece. Keep going, trust the process, keep picking away at it one babystep at a time. And often times, it won't come together until that last little touch that somehow is its crowning completing glory.
#12 You may have high expectations of perfection for your work, but understand that others don’t. That’s to say, no one in their right mind or with the best intentions for you expects you to be perfect. They expect you to be you with all your imperfections and strengths and quirks, but definitely not perfect. So ease up on this sense of external judgment and validation your perfectionism seems to fixate on so much. Just let it go and enjoy your arting as only you can enjoy it.
#13 Understand that perfectionism can actually compromise the value of innovation and experimentation which limits your creative potential. This is because perfectionism is actually generated by fear, and that breeds anxiety, and anxiety breeds a resistance to trying new ideas, media, methods, aesthetics, and tools. That’s to say, you can have this idea that your work is already perfect, so why improve it? In this way, perfectionism just entrenches you like a tick in the ways “I’ve always done it,” and that’s a particularly dangerous position to be in with our innovation-driven art form.
#14 Prioritize your energy! Your energy is a finite resource every day so don’t squander it! Because here’s the thing: The relentless pursuit of perfection can easily cause burnout between its pressures, negative feedback loop, and mental exhaustion. Perfectionism isn’t a noble pursuit, it’s a taxing exhaustion cycle that has only one destination — eventual disillusionment. If you want to keep arting productively then, ease up on perfection and dump more energy into having a more enjoyable experience.
#15 Here’s a handy trick: Let one thing be really, really good. Just one thing. So pick some aspect of your piece and pour your perfectionism into just that one feature. Like maybe you want to paint really amazing hooves — feed your perfectionism just on that. Or perhaps you want to make your sculpted ears really accurate — indulge perfectionism there. Then the rest of it? Exercise that “screw it, it’s good enough” rule. This is particularly useful when learning to sculpt specific body parts or learning to paint certain effects, like turning it into a learning opportunity instead. You can really propel your progress forwards with this tactic if you exercise it smartly.
#16 Learn how to identify and take the next best step. In this, deliberately lower the bar. That does sound counterintuitive, yes, but the thing is, that vision is perfect in your head, isn’t it? This shining example of impossible perfection. But it has to be, it has to be extraordinary to get us to stop whatever we’re doing and compel us to create it, right? But there’s no way ever that our physical interpretation will be as good as our vision…that’s not how visions work. So in other words, manage your expectations when working off your vision by lowering its bar to something achievable in real life. And remember this: Not every piece you make has to be the pinnacle achievement. You’re allowed to make some pieces purely for fun, in a more low-key way. Hey, more casual work is far from failure! It’s a typical part of life, really. Indeed, most art is created for enjoyment or creative exploration, not for hanging in some museum. Like I create my maquettes and NaReViMo horses very casually, and I find they really resonate with my inspiration in whole new wonderful ways.
#17 Never underestimate the power of arting in groups, or of surrounding yourself with a positive support system. Besides, the more brains that work a problem means there’s only that many more solutions to it. There’s power in numbers! For that then, think about joining art social media groups (given they’re properly moderated) and definitely consider joining the fun of NaMoPaiMo! Talk about a ginormous positive support system!
#18 Stay mindful of your perfectionist traits and drives. They’re easily triggered so we have to monitor them to make sure they don’t flare out of control. So stay cognizant of your reactions and expectations to stay more in the creative moment of tangible progress rather than being whisked away to The Land of Impossible Standards again.
#19 Stop comparing your work to others! Just stop. “Comparison is the death of joy,” said Mark Twain, and he was absolutely spot on. Heck, comparing your work to others can inhibit you from starting anything new at all, so just quit with that bad habit. Besides, it’s an apples to oranges comparison anyway when we gauge our work against others. Their magic isn’t the same as your magic, isn it? Nor is it meant to be — so stop trying to be something you aren’t! Your magic is more than enough, so focus on developing it to its fullest potential instead. As such, learn to only compare your work against your past portfolio so you can see how far you’ve actually come. That’s a far more beneficial and healthier comparison system in a well-developing long game anyway.
#20 Don’t overthink or over-analyze your work. Work more intuitively, more instinctively, more by your gut. You’ll find that your art flows out much more naturally from there than by your brain that’ll overthink something into the ground and out the other side of the planet. Along those lines, consider following the 70% rule: When you’re about 70% done (whatever that means to you), think about wrapping it up. This will help you to stop fiddling with a piece ad nauseam to overwork it or spin your wheels, plus it sets a kind of deadline, or finish line to call “done.” You’re essentially saying “it’s good enough,” and chances are — it is.
#21 Along with that, set a deadline, a day to call “done.” Often times, perfectionists need very clear goals with a non-negotiable hard stop to avoid that “just one more tweak” syndrome that leads to delays, overworking, and those cycles of diminishing returns. When that time comes then, you’re done, in whatever state the piece is in. So do this enough times, actually, and you find that you retrain your brain to value execution over endless “improvement,” and to adopt greater economy in decision-making and working.
#22 Realize that done is better than perfect. This isn’t just a platitude, it’s an actual strategy. Truly, when we focus on completion over perfection, something curious happens: Momentum builds, confidence grows, actions become more efficient, and decision making more effective. Your brain simply learns to become more economical in its actions, and that translates into more finished work.
#23 Reframe your perfectionist tendencies. For instance, shift from only focusing on the outcome to focusing on the process. Like rather than fixating on getting things super-perfect, just focus on showing up and working on your piece everyday to make some good headway. Or shift your fear of mistakes into an acceptance of mistakes as feedback. Indeed, mistakes are a powerful pathway for growth. And consider this: Limit your scope. Not every piece has to be your magnum opus! Set deadlines, finish, move on to improve on the next one. As Ed Gonzales wisely told me years ago, “Each horse is practice for the next.”
#24 If you’re a working artist and study sales psychology, the research is very clear: Your customers don’t want perfect. Rather, they want real, Voice-ful, relatable and reliable, consistent work that inspires them and with interactions that are genuine and honest. Authenticity, vulnerability, and personality builds connections, trust, and sales. So when you quit with the hyper-focus on perfectionism, you aren’t lowering your standards! You’re shifting your attention where it’s better spent, on your Voice, and so you’re creating connection. And that has far more power in your art than a mane tendril sculpted a “perfect” way.
#25 Remember that arting should first and foremost be fun! So do whatever it takes to keep your arting fun fun fun! If that means you adopt new attitudes — do it. If it means you work on different kinds of low-key work periodically — do it. If that means you enter fun contests and group happenings like NaMoPaiMo — do it. If that means you paint in unrealistic colors or create fantasy equines — do it. Whatever it takes. Like I participate in NaReViMo, I make casual maquettes for painting classes, I regularly attend a paint ’n sip, and I periodically create digital illustrations. I make pins and stickers and merch, too. Smoosh it all together and all these things keep my regular work fresh, informed, and lively because these other facets exercise different aspects of my creative drive. Try to engineer this, too — art with friends! Host an art retreat with buddies so you can create together! Or do it over Zoom! Make it a regular thing! Take a class, either on site or via Zoom! Creating in the presence of other artists can be a powerful, moving, and deeply enriching experience. And on that note, absolutely, anytime you can art with your kids is a good day!
Conclusion
For many artists, especially would-be artists, creating a piece less than perfectly is grounds for “forget the whole thing.” Perfectionism has this insidious little voice that tells you that if you can’t do everything and do it perfectly, you probably should do nothing at all. And so they sit — creatives not creating. But you see, there is no such thing as a “non-artistic person.” That’s a fallacy! They just don’t exist. Every human being is a creative — every single one. We are a creator species, it’s in our DNA. As Brené Brown observes, “There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear.” And as Elizabeth Gilbert relates…
If you’re alive, you’re a creative person. You and I and everyone you know are descended from tens of thousands of years of makers. Decorators, tinkerers, storytellers, dancers, explorers, fiddlers, drummers, builders, growers, problem-solvers, and embellishers—these are our common ancestors. The guardians of high culture will try to convince you that the arts belong only to a chosen few, but they are wrong and they are also annoying. We are all the chosen few. We are all makers by design. Even if you grew up watching cartoons in a sugar stupor from dawn to dusk, creativity still lurks within you. Your creativity is way older than you are, way older than any of us. Your very body and your very being are perfectly designed to live in collaboration with inspiration, and inspiration is still trying to find you—the same way it hunted down your ancestors.
Bingo! So don’t let fear or shame keep your creativity buried and untapped! Deep dive into it — it’s who you really are, to tell the truth! To explore your creativity is to explore the greater scope of you, and isn’t that a magnificent thing? So quit with the negative self-talk that keeps you stuck:
- Am I just lazy?
- What’s the matter with me?
- Am I just not good enough?
- Why am I so bad at this?
- Why don’t I have any talent?
- Why can’t I create as good as so-and-so?
Instead, ask yourself these more powerful questions:
- What is the driving force behind my desire to create art?
- Who or what seeded my insecurity and fear, and why is that still important to me?
- Why do I indulge negative self-talk? What purpose does that serve?
- What would I feel like if I was creative?
- What do I think success would be like if I was creative?
- How can I make my work authentically my own? How can I find and develop my voice?
- Why am I comparing my work to that of others, and so negatively? Why do I frame it that way?
- What creative challenges am I willing to take on right now? Which ones am I not willing to tackle right now? Why?
- What would my art be like if I learned not to care about other people’s opinions of it?
- What’s one small creative project I can do right now, just for fun?
- What’s the next skill or media I want to learn to do?
- Can a classroom help me take the next step?
Really dig deep. You’re excavating your fear to rescue your creativity! Because your art is important because you are important. Don’t allow perfectionism to tell you any differently! So it’s time to let go of your perfectionism. Truly, just release it and let it scramble away. You’ll feel so much artistically lighter for releasing that burden, and that just gives your inspiration and impetus room to grow and get to work!
Perfectionism is more than a personal struggle — it’s a productivity tax, a creative block. What artist needs that?! And think about it this way: You have a lot of work inside of you, right? So many inspirations wanting to be made real! You literally don’t have the time waiting to be perfect then, do you? You have work to do that your pesky perfectionism is impeding! Bah! But the good news is this: You don’t need to be perfect to be a great artist! Heck, no artist is producing perfect work anyway. Welcome to the club. But what you do need to do is to just start and finish. That’s all. And you can break that perfectionist cycle of “I’m not good enough” or “this isn’t just-so yet” to get your piece all finished and gorgeous! It just takes a little paradigm shift and a bit of gumption to kick perfectionism out the door to give your art the energy and space it needs to flourish.
So it’s time. Time get up and walk out of that shiny prison of perfectionism because you can build something more beautifully meaningful. Truly, there’s no amount of dreaming about our perfect piece that’s going to beat creating it in real life, even if it doesn’t perfectly match. Having something tangible in your hands that’s never existed before is an exhilaration unlike any other! “Action speaks louder than words” it’s said, and this is absolutely true for arting. And keep this in mind, "Your greatness is revealed not by the lights that shine upon you, but by the light that shines within you," said Ray A. Davis. There ya go.
Above all, always remember that you’re already an artist, you’re already creative, you just have to tap into it. In other words, arting is for everyone! Creating art isn’t for the lucky few — it’s for you, too! It’s your heritage, your right, and your potential joy, so break free of that perfectionist cycle, move out of your paralysis, and jump into the glorious fray! Welcome!
“Perfectionism is a dream killer, because it’s just fear disguised as trying to do your best.”
— Mastin Kipp
Recommended reading:
