"Paintings With Personality"

This is a quick sketch of a man I saw in Montana. I loved his whole look especially the mustache.

            I really don’t consider myself to be a perfectionist (well, maybe just a little). To prove it let me tell you this, I think I could be a much better painter than I am, and I have difficulty accepting compliments. In fact I think compliments given to me are undeserved. Perfectionism is also a big cause of stress and procrastination, I’m definitely a procrastinator. I know perfectionism interferes with creating, learning, and growning as an artist. Many times I have heard that painting should be about the process and not the product but when I begin to work my memory of that fails me.

The fear of not creating the perfect art work can completely stop a perfectionist from ever painting. It can take them months to create anything because they fear failure.

Here are some signs of perfectionism in art:

1. The artist is very critical of themselves.

2. They have difficulty finishing something because it is never good enough or becomes too difficult to           make perfect.

3. They’re engrossed for hours over some unimportant thing that no one else would notice.

4. They center on what is wrong in the painting and ignore what is right.

5. They spend hours changing a line that ends up being erased anyway.

6. They believe one small inaccuracy ruins the whole painting.

We have been taught that reaching for perfection is an admirable trait. There is nothing wrong with that unless you are upset by the thought of inadequacy and try so hard to reach a certain level that you beat yourself up when you don’t reach it. The perfectionist has developed their art technique with an eye for detail that only they appreciate. Instead they could recognize that their art is good and that it is okay to take chances and experiment. Beliefs about perfectionism come from the psyche and art isn’t about our egos. Perfectionists could change their perspective, ask themselves if the detail they are engrossed in is really critical. They could accept their limitations and be reasonable in their expections, being overly hard on themselves only causes stress. It’s when the perfectionist lets themselves be ruled by fear and does nothing about it that they fail. When they have high standards that are reasonable, they are happier and more productive.

I don’t believe I fall into that area of extreme perfectionism, thank goodness, I have enough of a battle with ‘lazy procrastination’. Maybe I’m only 25% perfectionist. I believe flaws make an art work interesting and unique. Good art is expressing yourself, creating and experimenting. We are artists painting our emotions and feelings into our work. In the process we experience freedom and enjoy fullness in life. To loosen up and learn to laugh makes life better. Having a sense of adventure and boldness helps us take chances. Making art is a learning experience. Take a chance you’ll find yourself in a world full or color and beauty.

“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it's often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.” ― Brené Brown

What do you think? Do you fall into the perfectionism description listed above? Are you happy there? What do you think about the work of the artists who aren’t as perfectionistic? Let me hear from you.

Please meet my great nephew, Nathan. He plays the piano as well as the guitar.