Introduction
You know what’s strange? Nearly every single other endeavor expects a beginner to perform below average at what they’re learning for the first time. Like, does anyone really expect a newbie to be reprogramming the Eastern seaboard within twenty-four hours after they first learn basic programming? No. Every other profession brings with it an expectation of a learning curve, of taking the time and effort, sacrifice and hardship to improve and reach a level of proficiency.
But not when it comes to art.
Curiously in contrast, when it comes to making art, many people seem to expect themselves to do far far better than their actual experience, training, and Sight warrants. In fact, many expect their art to be perfect right out of the gate, exactly as it is in their head as though the translation from our Vision to our hands was a direct, unimpeded translation.
But art doesn’t work that way.
In fact, in few other pursuits can our final product end up not jiving with our vision more so than in art. We may start with this clear vision in our head but sometimes we end up either far from our mark or with something different entirely! Indeed, I’ve been at this art gig for over forty years, and I’m still learning hustles just to keep pace with my visions and expectations. It takes a lot, and a whole lotta sacrifice, courage, and gumption. In this, arting isn’t really something we just do. Even the most casual creative effort entails a Path, a Way that asks us to dig deep and wrestle with some pretty big themes.
And those themes start early. Isn’t every child a born artist? Yes — yes they are. Any box of crayons or pot of Play-Doh can testify to that. But somehow, for any number of reasons, that natural desire to art gets beaten down in so many of us, who then grow up into creatives who have become fearful of their creative drives, and so we all lose. As Brené Brown observed…
Let me sum up what I’ve learned about creativity from the world of Wholehearted living and loving: “I’m not very creative” doesn’t work. 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. The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity. If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. Cook, write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an engine, sculpt, dance, decorate, act, sing—it doesn’t matter. As long as we’re creating, we’re cultivating meaning.
And one of the worst fears when it comes to arting is imperfection, that fear of inadequacy, of failing to convey our vision perfectly, of making mistakes, coming up short, of ridicule and shame, and that pesky notion that we’re "not enough,” all of which can solidify into a sturdy creative roadblock that can actually stop someone from being creative outright.
This is the perfidious toxicity of perfection. It sits out there, taunting us mercilessly and so we chase it — but it always seems to stay just out of reach of our grasping hands. This isn’t because we’re inadequate or not trying hard enough, it’s because perfection is an illusion, a sham, a con, a myth — a delusion. It’s an impossible task. It’s the lie we tell ourselves and each other as the secret of success. But what usually ends up happening is that this demand for perfection is actually a subtle, systemic form of bullying. Because think about it — browbeating someone, expecting someone to achieve something unachievable isn’t only monumentally unreasonable, it’s a form of torment. This is exactly why perfection stops so many people from being creative — they instinctively wish to avoid that torture whether imposed by others or welled up inside of themselves. And it also explains why so many are hesitant to be creative in our art form because look at the ridiculousness of the goal! Yet look how we continue to lift this bogus notion up onto a pedestal, even right from the start of our art career then ceaselessly pursue it like Don Quixote on an exhausted horse again and again and again. Then we beat ourselves up when we inevitably fall short, as if it was some big surprise.
Stop. Just stop.
Because there’s light at the end of this absurd tunnel! There is a way to put perfection in its place, even in our perfection-driven art form. There is a way to navigate the expectations out there and within our own heads to find satisfaction in our creativity even when it’s as imperfect as it can get. And there is a way to find joy again in our arting no matter the outcome — you can find it again and keep it burning bright! Because the sooner we realize how unreasonable perfection actually is, the sooner we find freedom, expression, and confidence in our arting. Even better, we perhaps find our Voice, the true gift given to each of us that finds its purest expression in our creativity. So let’s talk about some ideas that can keep us dodging those pointy sticks our little perfection goblins keep jabbing at us so we can not only make some real progress in our creativity, but find our enthusiasm for it again as well.
In this the real trick is as difficult to do as it is simple to say: To accept imperfection as not only a part of arting, but even bigger, as a part of life itself, and a part of you as well. To embrace imperfection not only as an inevitability in an imperfect world, but to recognize the humanity it actually contains. Any machine can bang out seemingly perfect whatsits, for example, but only a human being can infuse imperfection into the mix to make each one wholly unique, all by accident too. And it’s in that where the beaut of imperfection is to be found, a beauty that elevates art even higher, transcending even the inspiring vision itself. So let’s discuss all these big ideas to help us wrestle with our own perfection goblins to put them in a firm headlock! It’s time to stop bullying yourself and each other! So let's explore all these issues in this three-part series about this pesky, highly mobile goalpost...so letsa go!…
The Imperfect Goal
That vision in our head sure seems perfect, doesn’t it? Isn’t it a gleaming, glorious, wildly inspiring concept in our head that seems just within reach, there for the taking? Doesn’t it capture our hearts, our guts, our soul, and fascinate us like bonkers? Yes — yes it does. It has to, on purpose. Because if it didn’t, would we be so prone to stop what we’re doing to realize it through art? It has to be a beaming bright inspiration to get us off our duff to manifest it into reality with a single-minded determination that can only be described as a possession, an obsession, a mania. It has to absolutely captivate us in order to make itself real through us. But the important bit about all this is to recognize this unavoidable truth: There’s no way to translate that vision into reality as perfect as it exists in our mind’s eye. That’s the Catch-22, the perfect dilemma of all creativity from the beginning of time. “No artist is pleased,” revealed Martha Graham. “No satisfaction whatever at any time…There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching…” she astutely observes. And she’s right on the money.
So while our vision may be exquisitely perfect in our mind, our goal should be far more grounded and reasonable: The acceptance that we’ll unavoidably fail, being fallible, imperfect human beings in an imperfect world. So the goal then becomes to fail forwards, to express the creative blessings we’re given as we art and find our hallelujah in that. Maybe it’s to expand our knowledge base or skillset, maybe it’s to explore some theme or narrative, perhaps it’s to express some curiosity about structure, composition, color, or pattern, maybe it could just be the creation of an inspiring pretty horse, or it could be something else…whatever. But whatever failing forwards means to us, that should be our imperfect goal with every piece we ever create. As Vince Lombardi said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” Once we accept that our vision is fundamentally unattainable then, we quickly learn to grasp at what we can grab and work with that to the best of our abilities at that moment on our learning curve. Then soon enough, we’ll learn to make peace, to reconcile with the inevitable imperfection of our art to instead find jubilation in the doing and in what we did accomplish despite it all.
Recommended reading:
Vision Conniptions: Managing Our Mind’s Eye In Art
Paralyzed By Perfection: Breaking Free Of The Cycle
Gadding About With The Goblin: The Little Brat Beside Every Artist
The Imperfect Journey
I’m sure you’re keenly aware of this already: Our creative journey is imperfect, too. There’s really no unchallenged smooth sailing with any piece, is there? There’s always a detour, a surprise, a correction, maybe even a pothole to be found with every piece we undertake. It’s all part of the arting experience. That grail vision of perfection may be leading us on in perfect glory, but it’s a rugged landscape we stumble through in reality!
In this, the Japanese celebration of imperfection, wabi-sabi, comes in quite handy to process this contradiction. In wabi-sabi, it’s the journey, not the destination — the making of art, not the finished piece — that holds the value in the arting experience. Like what peace, satisfaction, enlightenment, sanctuary, purpose, and meaning did you find in the making of your art? As such, we’re asked to be present in the process, to acknowledge and enjoy every moment, every tool strike or brushstroke, even if it’s driving us bananas. Be aware, be present, be one with the process. But the point is this: The journey is inherently an imperfect one, that there’s more value to be found in the struggle, pursuit, and exploration of it than in the presumed perfection of the finished product. That imperfection itself is the art.
This is so liberating because it removes the value placed on our completed piece, making it something more incidental, to instead plunk it onto the journey getting there. And what’s more, it accepts that all works made in this world are flawed, are imperfect, will always come up short compared to our perfect vision, but that this isn’t only perfectly okay, it’s perfectly normal and actually preferred. That there is tremendous beauty, novelty, and meaning to be found in the imperfections in our art and effort, features far more important to our soul than impossible perfection. Indeed, there’s the old and revered art form of kintsugi (or kinsukuroi, meaning “gold joinery”) in which broken pottery is mended, but gold leaf is used to actually showcase the cracks and chips that are now part of the piece’s story. In this, the broken piece has actually become more beautiful by being broken, it’s story now more unique and complex than before. Sounds a bit like life, doesn’t it? Well, the same is to be said of our art, too! It becomes more meaningful, unique, and lovely because of our “errors,” our individualism and humanity poured into it, not some kind of “perfection” that has all that scrubbed out. Something to think about.
But the journey happens on a bigger stage as well. Know it or not, but all artists are on the Hero’s Journey as described by Joseph Campbell. He broke down this iconic quest into three phases: separation, initiation, and return. For artists, this is how it plays out:
- You feel inspired to be creative, your art calls to you (separation).
- You embrace the unknown and uncertainty to create it, facing your demons, especially the ones that insist “you’re not good enough,” “you’re not ready,” or “it needs to be absolutely perfect or you’ll have failed” (initiation).
- You create something that enriches the world: Your art, your Voice, your Truth (return).
Yes — yours is an epic journey! This can be why it’s such a daunting one for so many because asks for so much courage. As Henri Matisse observed, “Creativity takes courage.” Yup, yes it does. But you got this! Just as long as you don’t get stuck where most would-be artists get stuck: In the initiation phase. And it’s not because they lack the vision, skill, or talent, it’s because they’re asking the wrong questions of themselves…
- Why can’t I make this perfect, what’s wrong with me?
- Who do I think I am to become an artist?
- Is my work good enough?
- Why can’t I do this as good as so-and-so?
You see, those are questions that derive from our fear, they’re dis-empowering questions. Instead, we should be asking questions born of our strengths, empowering questions. So consider these instead:
- What’s my next artistic goal?: Not in my dreams, not someday, not tomorrow — now. Next. And be highly specific such as finishing a piece, prepping a resin, scoring your first juried show, composing the next piece, learning a new media, learning color theory, tinkering with your prices, taking a class, trying a whole new form of sculpture or painting, etc. The more you can break it down into a nice babystep, the better — something immediately attainable. This is how we build tangible progress, through lots of well-crafted babysteps.
- Why does my art matter to me?: Learn to “come home,” as Elizabeth Gilbert would say. Your epic journey will fling you into wild success and horrendous failure, both equally traumatic, and you’ve got to “find your way home” each and very time that happens. We do that by building our “home” right on top of what makes our arting matter to us in the most profound way so no matter what our journey throws at us, we stay empowered to keep cranking out art. So ask yourself why do you create this kind of art? Also ask, why this subject matter? And perhaps the most profound question of all — why is your art calling to you now? Why this drive in the first place? And dig for the deep answers, too, not just because “horses are beautiful.” Keep asking “why?” Excavate deep into your motivations and inspirations.
- What resources do I already have at my disposal?: Many artists tend to fixate on what they don’t have rather than what they do, tending to be deprivation-centered types. Well, stop that. Instead, focus and build on what you do have like your skills, experience, moxie, curiosity, courage, resilience, space, time, connections, tools, ambition, inspirations, etc. If you take real stock, you see you actually have quite the arsenal! So gather it all up and put it to work, building from there.
- What do I want out of my success? How do I want that to look and feel? This is a pretty big question and how you answer will shape your creative future, so be painfully honest with yourself for your own sake, for your art’s sake. Do you want a side hustle? Do you want a sanctuary? Do you want to exercise your artistic Voice? Do you want to make a living at it? Do you want expression? Balance? Fame? An exploration? Communication and connection? Celebration? Just what is it? And it can be many things, so tease them all out. But identify these goals with your art and you’ll tend to pick pathways that best align with your Voice and pass over those that are needless distractions. Absolutely, once we know how we want our success to be like, we’ll plot our course towards it with more clarity. On that note then, it’s also important to have our own measures of success rather than throwing our expectations into the four winds. This grounds us and keeps us on the journey that aligns with our Voice, and best serves our mental health and therefore our drive to keep arting.
- What will I spend my energy on?: When it comes to being a creative, what you spend your energy on is everything! See, you only have a finite amount of time on Earth, only so many hours in a day, and only so much “water in your well.” As Crista Cloutier observes, “Everything is currency: money, time, attention, emotion.” And she goes on to push, “Are you spending yours on stuff, drama, and comparison…or on learning, making work, building relationships, and taking tiny brave steps? Travel light artist. The less you drag along, the further you can go.” Be extraordinarily careful with what you spend your energy on! The more miserly you are with it, the more you have to focus on your art goals (with the exception of family, friends, and living, of course). That means give your time sinks or penchant for drama, your spinning wheels and procrastinations a deep and sometimes painful rethink. You see, your baggage — which is what determines where your spend your energy — can inhibit your progress in ways more tricksie than having an inadequate skillset or knowledge base. So keep that energy beam as focused on your art goals as possible!
- Who can and what will help me on my journey?: Who are your inspirations? Your mentors, sages, and guides? Who are your colleagues and peers? Your connections and networks? Your community? What orgs or groups do you belong to? Who are your cheerleaders? And here’s a big one — do you feed your inspiration or do you starve it and then get frustrated when it doesn’t deliver? Remember, your muse is one of your supports, too! But wrap it all up and the truth is no artist finds success alone, at least not the ones who prosper. It’s a group effort. But critically important, but most often ignored in our niche market, is our public image. How we come across in the public eye — our PR — is the very basis of our success. If it’s great, we’re golden, but if it’s tarnished or grody, we’re toast. So everything you do or post or say in public, sometimes even in private, is a part of your PR so pay it careful attention. The fact of the matter is this: Many folks simply won’t support an artist that comes across poorly or problematically, for good reason. So always act in ways that ensure your brand is on point to serve your goals best. Along those lines, this also means we need to behave in a professional way, at all times. Not only is this good for your own name, but this also attracts fellow professionals to collaborate with you. Never forget then that your behavior and associations aren’t only a reflection on you, but on your collaborators as well. If you misstep bad enough then, don’t be surprised if collaborators distance themself from you. All together then, a successful studio is built on many points of support so reach out, build relationships, feed your inspiration, be mindful of your brand and PR, and act in professional ways, and you’ll find questing companions soon enough!
Do you see how shifting the attitude in your question-asking changes everything? And the more honestly you answer those questions, the better. The truth is your journey is your apprenticeship, your testing ground and learning landscape. Hey, it’s said that Michelangelo quipped at eighty years old, “At last my apprenticeship is finished, I am ready to begin.” This means that there is no perfect time to start your Path — so just start! You’ll figure things out as you go and sure, you’ll stumble and end up in the brush, but you’ll find your way out, right? Of course. So as Kris Kringle sings in that Christmas Rankin-Bass classic…
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor
You put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walking out the door
You never will get where you're going
If ya never get up on your feet
Come on, there's a good tail wind blowin'
A fast walking man is hard to beat
Recommended reading:
Wabi-Sabi and Realism: Strange Bedfellows
Your Voice: What Makes Your Art Special
Journation: A Symbiosis For Growth
Nature vs Nurture: The Question of Talent or Skill
Priming The Pump: Inspiring Your Inspiration
Finding Your Fingerprint: Artist Branding
Conclusion to Part I
Clearly, the artistic Path isn’t as cut and dry as some people would believe. It takes hardwork, sacrifice, resilience, and vision to carve out a presence in any genre, but luckily our niche art form tends to be quite welcoming of good work. Thank goodness!
Even so, creating art is always a challenge in more ways than one so unless we’re willing to meet that challenge, we won’t be arting for very long. And that’s a darn shame. We need more people in our community happily arting away. We literally need everyone on deck! Why? Because of three beneficial reasons. First, it gets more people on the other side of the studio door and that spells better treatment of the creative process and artists as more folks get on the same page. Second, it fills up our classes and pushes the issue of the Novice and DIYer divisions ever more urgently. The sooner our shows can flip their priorities to benefit these groups, the better. And third, a group that creates together, sticks together better. It simply strengthens bonds and connections, it builds community and camaraderie, things we need a lot more of. Art has this miraculous ability to heal hearts and build connections where words and action simply fail.
Anyway, in Part II, we’ll continue our exploration with the Imperfect Notion and the Imperfect World, two biggies that entail some weighty issues. So until next time, it’s perfectly okay to be gloriously imperfect! That’s your humanity showing through so flaunt it!
“Have no fear of perfection — you'll never reach it.”
- Salvador Dali
