Perfectionism in creatives can cause anxiety and compromise performance.

Competence, not superiority, fosters innovation and imagination.

When an artist is too afraid of failure to take necessary risks, perfectionism can undermine creativity.

Nicole loved to paint in elementary and middle school. There wasn’t an inch of her room that didn’t display one of her masterpieces. But when she entered high school, her parents and the school counselor noticed that she began to develop significant anxiety about becoming “the best painter” in school. By her senior year, her work was technically proficient, but her art teacher noticed a lack of creativity, often wondering why her apt pupil was holding back on her potential.

For our perfection-obsessed culture, this scenario is unfortunately common. Many creatives find that the joy of creation has taken a backseat to the tense feeling of being “not good enough.” But in an effort to be the best, do we somehow short-circuit the one thing you need the most to be truly “good” at your art?

Where does perfectionism come from?

Perfectionism is a common issue with artists and other creatives. After all, who doesn’t want to create something extraordinary or amazing? For someone in a less creative field, perfectionist tendencies might help them achieve, although there can be high costs to personal happiness, especially in interpersonal relationships. However, for creatives, perfectionism can have significant consequences. When an artist is too afraid of failure to take necessary risks, perfectionism can undermine innovation and creativity, while simultaneously elevating anxiety.

The desire........

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