On Perfectionism & Creativity

Being a self-taught artist, the biggest lesson I think I've learned is that the process itself is where I find my joy in art and also where I've found healing. I have struggled all my life with perfectionism and have been notorious for not trying things because I am terrified of failure while I am also terrified of success, so you can imagine how often I find myself in gridlock with life! Art creates a remarkable loophole that seems convenient for perfectionists since failure and success in art are subjective and malleable. We decide what that looks like for ourselves, which shifts it from destructive to empowering. Sometimes the goal of a piece might be to express in a messy, abstract, unrestricted way. Other times it might be to replicate a likeness. Other times still it might be about using a certain color or style or medium, the possibilities are endless. It's hard to mess up but it's easy to collect building blocks, which are like gold for perfectionists since every piece becomes an opportunity to seek out room for improvement and growth. A channel for the stream of critical, nit-picky energy that might otherwise be self-destructive, instead directed into a purpose and goal which allows for creation instead. This makes great artists. It's also a lot better for our self-esteem. Not a perfectionist? That's also a valuable trait for creatives. I've spent years trying to learn to loosen up my artwork and let go of the need for things to be just right, why? Because it makes great art. Not overthinking or overworking is a gift in itself. Mastering a skill like this one leads to confident, bold and expressive work that many artists spend their entire career practicing toward. We live in a culture where there is an unspoken pressure to always be productive, which leads to many of us feeling guilty when we try to relax or if we're not able to work or make things nearly constantly. Most artists who have been creating for any length of time will tell you that we go through phases where we just can't do it. Call it a block, call it a loss of interest, lacking inspiration, any number of things, but it happens to most of us and that mentality of needing to be always productive can bleed into our creative life. Learning to embrace these periods of stagnant energy has been one of the more challenging but valuable lessons I've taken away from my experience as an artist. One thing you learn about the creative process is that the natural cycles offer us valuable learning opportunities- and that is a lesson that carries all throughout life.