THE PARALYZING PARADOX OF PERFECTION

While art can seem like perfection, the creation process is anything but perfect. The best artists, in every field or genre, tell us to just do, just create, and don't worry if it's perfect. This is hard if you are someone that is intrinsically motivated to do things perfectly. It's hard for perfectionists to just put something on the paper, or sing, or dance, or create in any way. It doesn't matter if it's in front of an audience because perfectionists are often their own worst critic.

Perfection is highly overrated, not nearly as fun as dabbling, and for true perfectionists, it can never really be attained. Think about that. A true perfectionist will re-visit their work, even their best work, over and over again, constantly looking for things they could have done better. It’s exhausting, and remains one of the reasons many artists choose not to re-visit their work. Actor Reese Witherspoon said that it’s “torture” watching her performances, and even Hollywood royalty like Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep refuse to watch their movies more than once.

I used to worry much more about "perfect," and it kept me from growing, and becoming better, in the skills I wanted to perfect. Fear of failure can be paralyzing for many, but the fear of not being the best (at least your personal best), keeps many perfectionists from even putting on their tap shoes, let alone lacing them up and taking a step. However, as a music teacher I needed to start taking my own advice. I used to tell my students that practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. You will permanently learn how to be better at what you're practicing and then it's a self-fulfilling circle. The more you practice, the better you get, and the better you get, the more you love it, and the more you love it, the more you will want to practice. So, if you don’t try, you will never know how great you could be. You may never know the joy it will bring you. You may never experience that feeling of accomplishment, at doing something that takes practice and skill.

What have you been wanting to try? If you feel that desire within, that need to do something, that longing to express yourself, just do it, and keep doing it. My writing, my painting, my singing, and even my teaching (yes, I believe teaching is an art form), were underdeveloped in my younger years. I cringe when I look back at examples, but I have to realize, they were good for me at the time, and for my development in that particular skill - at the time. Now, I can see rewards in my efforts, and while I will always secretly re-visit and re-hatch, I’m much better at letting go. I can say to myself, “I did that yesterday. It’s not perfect, but I can already do better today, and I can’t wait to see what I will be able to do tomorrow.” So, please, just do it – whatever “it” is. You won’t regret trying. As John Steinbeck said, "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good."