Whether you are an artist (aren't we all?) or a human being (and if you're reading this, I'm guessing that's probably a yes), you probably have encountered the dreaded borderline between creation and chaotic pursuit of perfectionism.
My experience is that there's a threshold at which further revision is maladaptive. My hunch is that artists either forget the impulse of their intuition and get lost down the rabbithole of idealism or on the flip side of the coin, they do not develop their ideas enough.
In perusing an expansive spectrum of my work recently, I experienced an epiphany about artistic evolution that I shall sum up in more user friendly suggestions here.
The Misstep Universale: waiting for everything to be perfect before releasing your song, story, recipe, speech, etc.
My Own Footfall (don't you just love the flowery language, lol*): writing and recording hundreds, maybe over a thousand songs at this point, and barely releasing anything because some aspect I didn't deem perfect… the recording quality, lyrics, production, etc. I am now joyously pivoting toward a new way of doing things. Yippy skippy as Miss Piggy says! (I most certainly am proud of the Muppet reference.)
Suggestions for your own Path:
Lighten up… share your gifts with the world… get feedback…improve as you go...fake it til you make it…yeah sure there are people who say you only get one chance for a first impression.
I couldn't disagree with that more. I’ll go so far as to suggest that it is a toxic statement. Sure, there is a context for it, but it misses the larger point of embracing life, thriving and focusing on the wonderfulness of a step-by-step mentality.
I believe in a universe of abundance, second chances, evolution, harmony, kindness, forgiveness, grace.
Further Reading:
I believe Seth Godin talks about elements of this in a lot more depth, and most recently, I watched an inspiring interview with the great Steven Pressfield who has authored the magnum opus for artists, The War of Art, that I could not recommend enough. I expect to continue to refer to this guidebook for artists (and anyone trying to achieve six pack abs as he says, LOL) throughout my life.
Thank you kindly for reading,
Hayden
PS
I have a LOT more to say on this topic...so these were some initial thoughts.
*I know...not everyone loves the flowery language
PPS
This blog post isn't perfect, and I'm proud of it! Here's hoping you shall celebrate your beautifully imperfect content too.
