There’s a great bit in Seinfeld where Jerry gets overly excited about having drawn the perfect triangle. Then to his dismay, Elaine is terribly unimpressed. Anyone who has ever drawn a perfect shape can likely relate to Jerry’s enthusiasm. It’s exhilarating to feel as though you have done something “perfect”. However, perfection is an elusive and nebulous concept. Yes, of course, it’s a good and admirable trait to strive for great work. Although when one’s desire to achieve perfection encroaches upon perfectionism, it can be detrimental both to their work and mental health.
We Shouldn’t Expect Ourselves To Be Perfect
Many people struggle with perfectionism. Those who do are almost guaranteed to be aware of it and know the symptoms. If you’re unsure though, check out this article that outlines the different signs that you might be a perfectionist. While this personality trait may apply to persons across any and all areas of study or work, I feel it applies most insidiously to those in creative fields. Art can be somewhat oxymoronic in that one may be great at their craft, or even be considered the best in their discipline, but it’s nearly impossible to say someone or something is perfect due to the wholly subjective nature of art. This can foment a tendency to strive for perfection, even to expect it of yourself, while never quite being able to attain it.
In my own experience, perfectionism can be extremely detrimental to the creative process. It fosters both trepidation and anxiety while working, and a fear that the final product will inevitably be less than perfect. This can lead to an inability to start a new project or to finish an existing one. In more extreme circumstances, it can even lead to depression rooted in a feeling of “never being good enough”.
Perfectionism is much like any other form of anxiety in that it’s never as simple as telling yourself, “okay, don’t be anxious anymore”. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the negative impact of perfectionist thinking. Some of these may sound obvious, but occasionally it can help to be reminded of the obvious.