Why I Don't Strive For Creative Perfection

Perfectionism. The creative spirit in all of us has, at one time or another, fallen victim to the pursuit of perfection. While I use the word "victim" dramatically, it's also  honest, because striving for perfection is one of the most damaging habits creators can build in themselves.

When I create, no matter what medium I choose to use, I am telling a story. Every story should (if it's a good one) tell a certain truth, express in its telling an honest representation of its author, even if through fictional, mystical or metaphorical means. These stories aren't always unicorns and rainbows. There is pain. There is sadness and loss. There may be anger and frustration. And these are all valid aspects to include and represent in our work, because what we create is a direct mirror of our lives and what happens behind the creative process. 

"Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough - that we should try again." - Julia Cameron

When I create a piece of jewelry, I am not just making jewelry, something functional or impersonal, but am expressing the day I've had, or the month or the year, which all translates into the wire I weave. When you see an extra turn of the wire in a weave, a visible join or a kink, for instance, that is the part in my story when I was thinking about how my son was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike home from work (he's thankfully very much okay), or realizing that my dinner has burned (again), or enjoying the constant distraction of my cats. 

And, while many a jewelry artist may disagree with me here, I'm not keen to edit that from my story. I don't want to undo the pages I've just written until what the audience sees is a superficial, staged look at my life. There's no shame in accidents, and I'm never likely to call much of anything a "mistake". Don't get me wrong... if it's meant to be worn, it should serve that purpose without hindrance... poking wires or jiggling stones. This isn't an invitation to be intentionally sloppy, after all. But to nitpick the number of coils, or the kink in a wire, seems to strip from the story a truth.

So no. I will not fall into the trap that perfectionism sets. I will not lose the parts of my story that make me real and keep me honest. I have a feeling there's an audience out there who appreciates the imperfections of others.

Stay creative. Be a superhero in how you express yourself. Be fearless and unapologetic and embrace your story from start to finish.

Creativity is about the expression of a vision, and those visions are a direct reflection of our lives. Sometimes, life is messy. Life is imperfect.