As a creator, I know sometimes one of the hardest things is determining when a project is finished.
Finished is subjective, and it can be scary to put our work out into the world. As a result, it’s very easy to slip into perfectionism and overwork a project to death. There’s also always that fear that you may have genuinely missed something that needs attention.
On the flip side, you may also be so excited by what you made that you rush it into the world before it’s really ready.
With that in mind, here are 5 tips to help you determine if your creative project is finished.
Can you pinpoint specific areas to improve?
If there’s an aspect of your project you can pinpoint and say, “Something’s off there. I don’t like how that’s landing.” Then you may still have work to do.
Even if you’re struggling to idenify exactly what isn’t working, if there’s an aspect of you’re work that you’re not happy with, then it’s worth sticking with it until you are.
(Asking a trusted friend, critique partner, teacher, or pro for feedback may also help give you a fresh perspective here.)
But if you’re staring at your work, having combed over it for flaws, and can’t point to anything specific you’d like to change, there there’s a good chance you’re work is finished.
Consider the type of feedback you’re getting
I believe feedback is an essential part of the creative process. I also believe who you ask for feedback while you’re creating is incredibly important.
In my experience, the best and most valuable feedback comes from people who:
- Know what they’re talking about.
- Are members of your target audience.
- Are invested in helping you create the type of project you want to create (and not trying to make your project what they want it to be).
- Are interested in supporting you and your project as it grows (not just leveling harsh criticism).
- Are willing to hold you accountable to your ability, goals, and values.
If you’re getting positive feedback from people you trust, who have been known to give you good feedback and hold you and you’re work accountable, then there’s a good chance you’re project is either finished or close to it.
As yourself: Are you making this project better or just making it different?
Discovering this question was such a game changer for me. Like we touched on in the intro, it can be very easy to tinker your work to death when you’ve reached the end.
This typically comes as a result of that natural fear that comes with putting your work out there. We want it to be the best it possibly can, so we just keep tweaking and changing.
But if you can’t concretely say that the changes you’re making are improving your work, then there’s a good chance it’s close to finished.
This is typically a sign that your project is as good as you can possibly get it at this point in time. Once you’ve hit this stage, it’s time to let it go.
Side note about this: in this case, “finished” will be relative to where you are in your project. If you’re early in your work and haven’t gotten any feedback yet, it may just mean this phase is finished and it’s time to hand it off to someone else.
But if you’ve reached this stage after having multiple people weigh in and you’re checking off the first two points of this post, then it’s likely “finished” means it’s time to share it with the world.
Be honest about your feelings and expectations
Checking in with yourself (and being honest) is one key way of determining how complete your works is. Consider asking yourself the follow.
- Does you’re work feel done to you?
- Is your intuition telling you it’s done and you’re resisting because of fear or another emotion?
- Or is you’re intuition telling you there’s still work to do and you’re ego/impatience is rushing you to finish?
- Are your expectations reasonable?
- Are you striving for the “perfect” creation? (If you are, that’s pretty unreasonable and you might want to make some adjustments.)
- Is your project as good as you are capable of at this point in time? If yes, then you’re probably finished. If not, then what can you improve?
The more you create, the more you will hone your craft. Ideally, each new work should be better than the one that came before it. So instead of striving to create the “perfect” work, I think it’s healthier to strive for “the best you can do right now.”
If you’ve reached that point, there’s a good chance you’re project is complete.
Consider a tarot reading!
As an artist and creator myself, tarot has been a pretty powerful tool to help me understand where my project is at, where my attention should go, what my next steps are, or if it’s time to let it go and set it free.
It can do the same for you!
This is why Foreshadow Intuitive Tarot offers a Guidance for Creators and Creatives Reading, which is designed to give you the guidance and empowerment you need to move your creative endeavors forward with confidence!
This reading can be customized to meet you where your at in your unique creative journey. It can also be structured to help you gain the insights you need for your creativity to flow and your projects to blossom.
I also have a post that shares 7 ways tarot can help your creativity if you want to learn more!
For more on my Tarot philosophy, you can can check out the About page.
If you’d like to know even more about me and my own personal creative experience and how tarot supported me, you can read my story here.
How do you tell when your creative project is finished? Tell me about it in the comments!
