How to Stop Perfectionism from Blocking Your Creative Work
- Adilla
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
You may not realise this, but aiming for perfection is a form of creative self-sabotage, whether you realise it or not. When it comes to healthy mental wellness, you would recognise that traits of perfectionism can do more harm than good. Some may argue it’s a double-edged sword. It doesn’t have to be.
Overcoming perfectionism doesn’t mean you give up on perfecting your work. Perfectionism in art can still be achieved without sabotaging your well-being or leading to burnout.
Table of Contents
Why Most Creatives Struggle with Perfectionism
Perfectionism is a character trait where an individual sets a standard of expectations of themselves, typically at an extremely high standard, that comes with an overly critical self-evaluation.
So, why do creatives struggle with this the most?
There could be several factors that could contribute to their ‘need’ for perfectionism. At times, it boils down to an unhealthy focus on external validation. They tend to tie their self-worth to how the public receives their artwork.
3 Signs You’re Self-Sabotaging Yourself
Procrastination
Whether you choose to ignore your creative work or are paralysed by the fear of imperfection, procrastination is a struggle to deal with, often blamed as a mask for laziness. If you were lazy, you would have enjoyed it and wouldn't feel guilty for not doing anything productive.
Negative Self-Talk and Low Self-Esteem
These are behaviours that not a lot of artists realise they’re doing. The negative self-talk starts small, like “This line isn’t straight enough,” and progresses to “I can’t seem to do anything right.” It’s a dangerous slope that affects your self-esteem in the long run.
Blame Shifting
At first, you might not notice, but when you refuse to take accountability to improve your own creative work, it bleeds out onto your social life. You would blame factors like you don’t have the right tools, you don’t have time, or you don’t have the talent to create art at all. Instead of focusing on personal growth, these individuals will find every reason but themselves.
Why Do We Fear Imperfection?
There could be several factors why imperfection is something that artists fear. One of them is that they could have grown up in an environment that wasn’t supportive and was judgemental of what you or other people create. Developing an overly critical inner voice about themselves prevents them from creating art that’s not perfect.
3 Ways to Stop Perfectionism and Self-Sabotage
1. Identify and Challenge Self-Sabotaging Behaviours
Recognise when your mind negatively talks about yourself; while replacing them with positive alternatives might take a while, it's not impossible. When it comes to procrastination, recognise whether it is out of fear of failure or the inherent need to be perfect. By identifying these signs, you can prevent your mind from spiralling down.
2. Cultivate a Growth Mindset
At times, you do have to brace your flaws and imperfections before aiming to improve and fix them. Once you do, the steps to improve them come naturally. So, instead of aiming for perfection, you would focus on the progress of your creative work.
3. Manage Your Environment
Other than minimising distractions, build a supportive environment. Friends or family who uplift you are essential in moving your mind towards positivity. This is something that not a lot of people consider doing: filtering your social media consumption. It’s good to have constant updates of friends or other artists, but if their self-criticism towards themselves is put out in public, it could affect your mind too.
Final Thoughts for Artists
Something is always better than nothing. You started making art for a reason, and that reason might be enough to get you going again. If not, it’s time to rekindle that love for art. It doesn’t have to be a form of drawn-out artwork. Try out different forms of creative work: crocheting, pottery, costume making, or even music.
Don’t let perfectionism stop you from creating your potential masterpiece.
Conclusion
Aiming for perfection can be good, but it inherently sets you up for failure.
Perfectionism is a form of self-sabotage that people don’t realise; sometimes being good enough is good enough.
To stop perfectionism from harming you, you have to be kind to yourself before it takes over your life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do artists struggle with perfectionism?
Artists tend to struggle with perfectionism because of their self-worth and self-esteem. An overly critical inner voice could be the reason why they can’t bring themselves to finish an artwork.
How do I stop over-editing my creative work?
You can prevent yourself from over-editing your work by setting a time limit when working on your artwork. Being strict with your working time can reduce the chances of editing your work too much.
What are the signs of self-sabotage?
Other than what’s listed above, signs of self-sabotage could also be self-isolating from the world around you and a lack of healthy boundaries in protecting your mental health.
How do I finish art without overthinking?
There are ways to let go of the feeling of overthinking when creating art. One of them is creating art for fun or with no specific goal. With practice of no expectations, you will be able to make art without the anxiety that comes with overthinking.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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