Perfectionism is something a lot of creators struggle with.
We want our creations to be as good as they can possibly be, and there’s something to be said for healthy striving.
But perfectionism isn’t the same as healthy striving. Perfectionism can be paralyzing and stop you from sharing your creation, or even keep you from creating in the first place.
It can lead to obsessive or anxious behaviors that just aren’t conducive to creating.
With that in mind, here are five ways you can combat perfectionism as a creator.
Set some limits
Setting limits and boundaries for yourself is a good way to help yourself strive to be your best without becoming obsessive.
The type of limits you set will be different depending on your project.
You can set a time limit for yourself and decide when the clock is up, you’re letting this project (or this portion of your project) go.
You could also try limiting the number of times you correct or retouch something.
For instance, when I do these blog posts, I limit myself to two proofreads. I know mistakes get past me, but that doesn’t stop the content from being valuable.
Two proofreads gives the work a reasonable look over, without becoming obsessive (especially since I can always correct it, but more on this later.)
This may not be ideal for every project, but I’ve found it particularly helpful for lower-stakes creations.
Prioritize your happiness
I think the true goal of any creative is to be a happy creative. Sure, there are some parts that are harder than others, and we may not truly be happy all the time, but we can aim to be happy more often than not.
One way we achieve this goal is by recognizing the things that take our happiness and work to minimize them.
Perfectionism is absolutely a happiness stealer. It tells you that what you’ve made still isn’t good enough so you just need to keep chipping away at it until it’s perfect.
But the thing is, you don’t have to keep chipping away at it. You can decided you’ve given something your best and it’s time to take a step back.
It can be a choice you make. It may not be an easy choice–especially at first. But it can be a choice.
Evaluate the importance and life span of what you’re creating
Not everything you create will have the same importance and life span. As a result, not everything you create should get the same amount of your attention.
For instance, if you’re a writer, the book you’re working on will have a greater importance and life span that the Instagram or blog post you write.
It doesn’t make sense to obsess and try to perfect a blog post or social media post. Those things may add value and help you share your thoughts, view point, and creations, but they aren’t going to carry the same weight as the book.
Do your best to do them all well, but recognize when your energy is better spent elsewhere.
Consider the worst case scenario
Take a moment to imagine the worst case scenario.
You make your creation. You do everything you possibly can to get it as good as you can. You’re not being lazy or cutting corners.
You’re actually doing your best.
And in the end, it’s not perfect. You’ve made a mistake or several, and now your work is out in the world.
Odds are, it’s going to be okay!
If it’s a big offensive mistake, you apologize. It may not be fun, but it happens and this fear is no reason not to share what you’ve made.
And if it’s a smaller mistake, it’s just–fine. It can exist without ruining your work.
For what it’s worth, there were typos in my final published books. Those books were proofed to death by me, multiple friends and beta readers, my agent, my editor, my assistant editor, my copy editor, and several proofreaders.
These books were as final as they were going to get and they still weren’t perfect.
And guess what? I still heard from people from all over the world who read and loved these books.
Some people may nitpick, but on the whole, a little imperfection isn’t going to stop your creation from having an impact and value.
Learn to recognize when if you’re making something better or just different
This was really big for me. You can keep making changes to your project in the attempt to make it perfect. But if you can’t say for sure that you’re actually improving your project, it’s time to step away.
This is either a sign that it’s time to ask someone else for feedback or take your project to the next step.
I believe your ultimate goal as a creator should be to create a project you love that’s as good as you can possibly make it at this point in your life.
If you get to the point where you’re making changes and making your project different, without being able to say it’s actually getting better, you’ve likely reached this goal.
If you aren’t happy with things at this point, then you may need some feedback from a trusted source.
But if you’re more or less happy with the outcome, it’s time to set it free. This is a sign that you’ve made it the best you can at this point in time and it’s time for the next step.
This is what good enough looks like.
If perfectionism is getting the better of you and your creation, consider a tarot reading!
As an artist and creator myself, tarot has been a pretty transformational tool to help me lock in on my strengths as a creator, remove a creative block, and seek more clarity and direction on my projects and process.
It can also help you determine where your attention should go, what you still need to do on your project, and if it’s time to let it go and set it free.
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 combat perfectionism as a creator? How have you struggled? Tell me about it in the comments!
