I hate the word perfectionist.
I think it’s a word we use, specifically for women, to belittle them. To make them (us) feel like our priorities, our standards, and concerns don’t have value.
Perfectionism is defined as the refusal to accept any standard short of perfect.
If this is a standard you put on others, well, that’s not fair.
But if this is a standard you apply to your own art, I don’t see the problem.
There are two things to consider, though.
How perfect is measured?
Its misuse in creating.
How is the perfect standard measured?
For me, perfect is self-defined. My perfect may be a far cry from what is perfect from someone else. The important thing is that I’m the one measuring it. I’m not trying to create my photos in a way that lives up to anyone else’s standards.
Perfectionism is a positive force in my work when:
It helps me envision exactly what I want to create and put in the work to do it.
Keeps my standards high for the quality of work I produce and the respect I have for those I work with.
Perfectionism becomes a problem if:
It drains my time for no reason due to picky details that I impose on myself.
It halts my ability to complete work.
Is perfectionism being misused?
When I got into online business a few years ago, in terms of teaching and selling online, I was bombarded by the question being asked over and over - Are you just a perfectionist? Are you not putting your work out there or selling it because it’s not perfect? Then you are a perfectionist.
Wait a minute. That’s not perfectionism.
Finding a way to procrastinate on the completion of something is FEAR.
People will sometimes say - Oh you just want it to be perfect. But in reality it’s the fear of putting something out there and being judged for it that holds a person back.
Fear is an entirely different issue to deal with. And we need to identify it correctly.
So if you have high standards for the quality of your work, so do I. Maybe you want them to be perfect. As long as that perfection is measured by your own standards then so what?
It’s time to stop viewing perfectionism as a something that is always negative. It’s time to stop using it as a way to tell people they are doing things wrong and making them feel as though it’s something they need to fix.
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