Perfectionism???
Jan 07, 2019
I have collected so many colouring books over the years. I love the drawings and have always been too afraid to mess them up by colouring in them. Silly I know.
At Christmas, I received a couple of sets of fine markers and it has changed colouring for me. I can’t get enough now. The fine tips and bright colours make colouring in these amazingly detailed colouring books so easy and fun.
I have even played around with drawing my own colouring pages. I used them for my thank you postcards when people bought my art (they now need to be updated with the new branding). But, you know what? I never even coloured one of the ones I created.
What was that about? Was it the perfectionism freeze? I know I have trouble writing in books, but colouring books are meant to be written in, coloured in. but, I do think that is what it was, I didn’t want to mess up those great drawings.
There is no wrong way to colour, so why was I so afraid?
What was that about? Was it the perfectionism freeze? I know I have trouble writing in books, but colouring books are meant to be written in, coloured in. but, I do think that is what it was, I didn’t want to mess up those great drawings.
There is no wrong way to colour, so why was I so afraid?
I recently got back to my art as well. I have really struggled for the past couple of years to start again. I had taken a couple of years off of work to pursue my art. It was going well and galleries were starting to contact me. Most artists would love to be in that place.
I panicked and quit painting. I was so afraid of screwing it up, or worse yet… doing well with my art.
So, now a few (8) years later I have done a lot of work on myself and have started to paint again. I have really struggled with what if i’m not as good as I was. What if the emotions I was feeling then are not the same as now (they aren’t) and I don’t emit the same feelings into my art?
Of course they are different now, but that’s ok. I have just started again and it is tough, but I just keep working through the feelings. It may take me awhile to get back to where I was, but of course it would. I haven't painted in years. Like anything the more you do it, the more you practice, the better you get.
7 Ways to Overcome Destructive Self Criticism (more on this in Creativity 101)
1. Focus on the work, not your feelings about the work.
2. Treat yourself like you would treat a good friend.
3. Ask yourself what action you can take for your own good.
4. Accept where you are right now.
5. Adjust your expectations.
6. See yourself as a person, first; a creative, second.
7. Separate the pain of the experience from the experience.
These are just some of the steps I have worked on to overcome this perfectionism, self-criticism, “I’m not good enough” syndromes that have held me back.
And don’t think I am “cured”, I have worked hard to overcome these things, but they still pop into my head and stop me dead in my tracks and I have to do some journaling, or meditation or talk through these blocks that try to get in my way.
The one I am still struggling with right now is getting in from of a camera. I was always told that I am not photogenic, and my mom once told me that we didn’t purchase the family photos because of the way I looked in them. It doesn’t help that my brother is a dancer and model and looks amazing in photos.
So, now that I am starting my online courses I really need to be okay on videos and in photos. So… I take a deep breath, and I procrastinate for a month or so, and then… I finally just jump into it. I started slow, by taking photos of my work in different stages, and then adding myself to those photos. Then I started doing videos of me working on my art. I held a beta online class and got feedback on the videos and the content.
Then I jumped right in and started recording videos for the classes. Yes, I still struggle with them, but I am doing them. I know they will get better as time goes on. But, I also know I have something to share and videos are the way to do that.
There is no such thing as perfect, so why do we always strive to be "perfect, to do our work "perfectly". Why do we place ourselves against those insurmountable odds? Because that way we can prove that we aren't good enough. It's all BS, and yes we are good enough and we can do it. Start now on something you have been afraid to do.
Have an Amazingly Creative Day,
Larissa
I panicked and quit painting. I was so afraid of screwing it up, or worse yet… doing well with my art.
So, now a few (8) years later I have done a lot of work on myself and have started to paint again. I have really struggled with what if i’m not as good as I was. What if the emotions I was feeling then are not the same as now (they aren’t) and I don’t emit the same feelings into my art?
Of course they are different now, but that’s ok. I have just started again and it is tough, but I just keep working through the feelings. It may take me awhile to get back to where I was, but of course it would. I haven't painted in years. Like anything the more you do it, the more you practice, the better you get.
7 Ways to Overcome Destructive Self Criticism (more on this in Creativity 101)
1. Focus on the work, not your feelings about the work.
2. Treat yourself like you would treat a good friend.
3. Ask yourself what action you can take for your own good.
4. Accept where you are right now.
5. Adjust your expectations.
6. See yourself as a person, first; a creative, second.
7. Separate the pain of the experience from the experience.
These are just some of the steps I have worked on to overcome this perfectionism, self-criticism, “I’m not good enough” syndromes that have held me back.
And don’t think I am “cured”, I have worked hard to overcome these things, but they still pop into my head and stop me dead in my tracks and I have to do some journaling, or meditation or talk through these blocks that try to get in my way.
The one I am still struggling with right now is getting in from of a camera. I was always told that I am not photogenic, and my mom once told me that we didn’t purchase the family photos because of the way I looked in them. It doesn’t help that my brother is a dancer and model and looks amazing in photos.
So, now that I am starting my online courses I really need to be okay on videos and in photos. So… I take a deep breath, and I procrastinate for a month or so, and then… I finally just jump into it. I started slow, by taking photos of my work in different stages, and then adding myself to those photos. Then I started doing videos of me working on my art. I held a beta online class and got feedback on the videos and the content.
Then I jumped right in and started recording videos for the classes. Yes, I still struggle with them, but I am doing them. I know they will get better as time goes on. But, I also know I have something to share and videos are the way to do that.
There is no such thing as perfect, so why do we always strive to be "perfect, to do our work "perfectly". Why do we place ourselves against those insurmountable odds? Because that way we can prove that we aren't good enough. It's all BS, and yes we are good enough and we can do it. Start now on something you have been afraid to do.
Have an Amazingly Creative Day,
Larissa
