Share Your Thoughts...

I'm beginning to gather material for my new article for the series 'Artist's Musings On Creative Process' and the tentative title for this project is 'Bringing Monsters Out Of The Closet: Perfection.' It's been said many times before that Perfection is a lowest standard we can ever aim at achieving. It took me long, long years to realize that this monster has been quietly sitting in my own closet along with its two close companions - fear of failure and fear of success. For all that time I was convinced that since the word 'perfection' wasn't part of my working vocabulary, I was immune to the effects of this debilitating belief system....

I have found that one of the fastest ways to become aware of the whereabouts of the 'Perfection Syndrome' in our lives is to look at the places where we may feel stuck. Those areas may be marked by a long list of rationalizations beginning with the good, old - 'If only....' Then followed by: I had a supportive ENOUGH environment, more time, more money, better childhood, lived in a different city, different neighborhood, had more experience, more credentials, someone acknowledged me, gave me credit, told me what I want to hear the most... THEN I CAN FINALLY BE...... (fill in the blanks).

Personally, I don't believe that any creative person, regardless of the medium of their expression, is immune to the abusive and scary voices of the Perfection Monster. Instead, through introspection and commitment to their own creative process, they courageously Walk On.... despite the emotionally threatening narrative.

I would like to invite you to share your your thoughts, experiences, observations from your own journey. We can learn from each other as we remember that we are all Creative Beings sharing this Human Experience....