Letting go of perfection open up new possibilities in so many ways such as freedom to think creatively and stress over a perfect outcome, less judgement over outcomes and actions, developing new friendships, risk taker versus risk adverse, open to a new vision …. ‘Rather than denying or ignoring them as hindrances, we might embrace limitations as pathways to possibility, like the planks of a bridge that support our ability to span a gap.” Rose Zonetti
I do not consider myself a perfectionist by nature. I am very laid back. I also think it is human to make mistakes and learn from them.
Blizzard coming tomorrow late afternoon into Monday our way. I am so ready for spring, it’s been a very harsh winter, they say worst it has been in 30 years!
One day
my mother
sat me down
and more or less forced me into learning to do simple beadwork.
It caught on,
and for the next ten years or so
I flew into learning and inventing
all styles and methods of beading
with feathers, shells,
semi-precious stones,
hammered silver and bronze,
and beads of all sizes,
from 1/16th of an inch
to larger and odd shaped beads.
I sold my work at flea markets,
fairs,
and juried art shows in the southwest.
Along the way,
I met a man who claimed to be the last Spanish cowboy in the US
and his beautiful wife,
unfortunately his devoted slave.
They also did bead work
and we occasionally spent a day working the beads
together.
Lorenzo
always inserted a bead that didn’t fit the colour pattern
into each earring he made,
saying that it was an act of humility,
being that only God could create something perfect.
I leave it to you
to either pass judgement on this practice
or not.
But I did learn a important lessons
from that time in my life.
I learned about patience and perseverance . . .
I learned that imperfection
has its own sense of being perfect,
just the way it is.
Later,
I was to have an art teacher
who told me
that when I made a mistake in my art,
I must make it look as if the stroke was intentional,
an intended part of the piece,
and would draw no questions about its purpose being there.
I’ve taken these teachings to heart
in everything I do now,
like a woman who artfully crafts her fly away hair
to look delightfully,
whimsically
intentional
and not contrived by hand.
I’ve discovered
that perfection
is in the little things . . .
the brown at the edge of a dew-filled leaf,
the colored threads
handing off the edge of a bird’s nest,
refusing to be woven in with the sticks and pine needles.
Imperfection
is where the softness comes from . . .
it is what tears at your heart
as it inhabits space just as unapologetically
as perfection does.
I am learning to be unapologetic
about my own perfectly imperfect self,
and it feels so much better,
and is more freeing
than trying to fit into a mold
made by an artificial standard. ♥
I was told by native Indian that there is always one thing in their artwork that was intentionally placed in the artwork to free oneself from perfection.
Sorry friendw, i am off sick, unable to think or do anything. Just. headaches, fever, and worn out, I will come bacak here when having recovered. No perfection of anything. Blessings to you all.
Letting go of perfection helps me to start new things. It’s never the perfect time or the perfect situation to start. So, by letting go of perfection,
I’m giving myself permissions to begin anyway.
Plus, the pursuit of perfection, seems to be an ego and perception driven goal. And if I think about being stuck, it’s partially due to this concept and standard. Making peace with the fact the I am broken and imperfect, has opened up so much in my life. I am mediocre at many things and they still bring me joy and satisfaction. 😁
You have learned a lesson,
dear Charlie,
that took me years to learn . . .
there is so much freedom
and absolute joy
in taking ‘perfection’
off of the list of things I strive for.
You make peace with what is,
which is what opens things up
so that we can see how beautiful
you are. ♥
I’m reminded of the saying, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning.” I enjoy learning new things and that inevitably involves making mistakes and not executing perfectly.
I can think of one habit I have that I could tweak a bit to reduce effort aimed toward perfection and thus free up time to do something else. I wouldn’t change it completely, though.
When I write emails I strive to think from the perspective of anyone I may be writing about. How would I feel reading it if this got forwarded to me, given what it says about my work? This is my value of kindness in action. Other emails aren’t about a person; I’m laying out a process, requesting information, summarizing a meeting.
What I could change (relax!): I reread the emails more times than I need to before sending, I think, trying to make them really good (perfect).
At this point in my life I’ve written thousands upon thousands of emails–I’m sure it’s in the hundreds of thousands as my jobs for decades have all been the kind of work that demands emails. I continue to get better at organizing information, and my kindness isn’t something I have to add in through editing.
I could strive to reread just once, for logic and completeness, and then hit send and move on! Don’t go back to reread. If I missed something, someone will ask and I can respond with the information. If no one misses it, we’ll all survive.
This question may give me more available moments in my day to do things that matter a great deal more than perfecting an email.
This question suits me as I am a perfectionist. Letting go of perfection shows me that I am human and make mistakes. Giving your best effort is good enough.
Have a great weekend everyone:)
This question reminds me of stamp collectors or artists who transform errors into a special piece of art. I saw on TV a stamp collector who got a pretty unique stamp that appeared with a significant display error. There was no second stamp like that. Years have passed, and that stamp is worth a lot of money, and that guy never wanted to trade it. Is anyone here a painter? Yeah, there are, of course, moments when you accidentally have a special piece of art that is transformed from your mistakes. It’s unique! Anyway, the message of this question to me is that imperfection is a possibility of uniqueness. Happy Saturday, everyone! 💐
I had an art teacher many years ago,
dear Ngoc,
who said,
“if you make a mistake,
either fix it if you can,
or if you can’t,
make it look intentional . . .
it should never LOOK like a mistake. ♥
My Ngoc, this reminds me of a few answers I saw here earlier but in different variations. Many people here share your sentiment. I can relate too as a conspiracy theorist myself who enjoys exploring unfamiliar view points. It’s what helps me play all sides without sacrifice.
By letting go of perfectionism it helped to lessen my procrastination. I didn’t have to spend hours decluttering—just take 20 or 40 minutes, do what I could then in those moments. Then come back later. I felt a lightness on my shoulders. Ah!
Fortunately, I’m not a perfectionist. Possibilities come easier with a laid back lifestyle. I have a good amount of time and energy available for exploration in whatever areas of interest I choose.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that perfectionism is a time-waster. I waste a LOT of time trying to make my day perfect, by not wasting time, by doing everything on my list, by checking and re-checking my schedules, calendars, clocks, lists, etc, to see if I’m getting everything done that I want to. When really I’m wasting time doing that! OR I waste time trying to make the perfect decision – what movie to see, what to choose on a menu, what move to make in playing a game – I drive other people nuts by my time wasting need for perfection. Who knows what joys, laughter, creativity I might experience if I just went with my gut and quit thinking so much – I don’t know if it’s overthinking or perfectionism – probably both. I pray about it a LOT –
Your comments remind me of the book Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman. He makes the point that we could never possibly do everything, so why beat ourselves up over the path not taken? We have this one life.
I read that book over the course of a month, one concept a day, which is how he designed it. I may go back and read it again for a refresher.
Letting go of perfection is so freeing! It is lightness and spaciousness. Do I sound like the recovering perfectionist I am? Perfectionism became exhausting to me. Working hard to let that go was such a satisfying gift I gave to myself. On the other hand, if I ever need a heart surgeon, I hope they are a perfectionist.😉🩷
🙂
I think that any good heart surgeon
knows how to work around anomalies
and differences in anatomy,
and will create a successful result . . .
at least I hope so,
dear Mary. 🙂
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I have tried for decades to weigh a “perfect” weight. Obsessed with weight and dieting. I have let that go and am now more open to life.
Letting go of perfection open up new possibilities in so many ways such as freedom to think creatively and stress over a perfect outcome, less judgement over outcomes and actions, developing new friendships, risk taker versus risk adverse, open to a new vision …. ‘Rather than denying or ignoring them as hindrances, we might embrace limitations as pathways to possibility, like the planks of a bridge that support our ability to span a gap.” Rose Zonetti
I do not consider myself a perfectionist by nature. I am very laid back. I also think it is human to make mistakes and learn from them.
Blizzard coming tomorrow late afternoon into Monday our way. I am so ready for spring, it’s been a very harsh winter, they say worst it has been in 30 years!
One day
my mother
sat me down
and more or less forced me into learning to do simple beadwork.
It caught on,
and for the next ten years or so
I flew into learning and inventing
all styles and methods of beading
with feathers, shells,
semi-precious stones,
hammered silver and bronze,
and beads of all sizes,
from 1/16th of an inch
to larger and odd shaped beads.
I sold my work at flea markets,
fairs,
and juried art shows in the southwest.
Along the way,
I met a man who claimed to be the last Spanish cowboy in the US
and his beautiful wife,
unfortunately his devoted slave.
They also did bead work
and we occasionally spent a day working the beads
together.
Lorenzo
always inserted a bead that didn’t fit the colour pattern
into each earring he made,
saying that it was an act of humility,
being that only God could create something perfect.
I leave it to you
to either pass judgement on this practice
or not.
But I did learn a important lessons
from that time in my life.
I learned about patience and perseverance . . .
I learned that imperfection
has its own sense of being perfect,
just the way it is.
Later,
I was to have an art teacher
who told me
that when I made a mistake in my art,
I must make it look as if the stroke was intentional,
an intended part of the piece,
and would draw no questions about its purpose being there.
I’ve taken these teachings to heart
in everything I do now,
like a woman who artfully crafts her fly away hair
to look delightfully,
whimsically
intentional
and not contrived by hand.
I’ve discovered
that perfection
is in the little things . . .
the brown at the edge of a dew-filled leaf,
the colored threads
handing off the edge of a bird’s nest,
refusing to be woven in with the sticks and pine needles.
Imperfection
is where the softness comes from . . .
it is what tears at your heart
as it inhabits space just as unapologetically
as perfection does.
I am learning to be unapologetic
about my own perfectly imperfect self,
and it feels so much better,
and is more freeing
than trying to fit into a mold
made by an artificial standard. ♥
“Imperfection
is where the softness comes from . . .
it is what tears at your heart
as it inhabits space just as unapologetically
as perfection does.”
Beautiful.
It seems like it works that way,
doesn’t it,
dear Barb? ♥
Sparrow, I too agree. There’s much to reflect on here. Thank you.💕
I’m happy,
dear Carla,
that my heart can touch yours
in some small way. ♥
I was told by native Indian that there is always one thing in their artwork that was intentionally placed in the artwork to free oneself from perfection.
I like this reason,
dear Kansha,
better than the other one . . . ♥
What a lovely read, dear Sparrow. Many passages for me to ponder. Thank you.
Ain’t life grand,
dear Joseph? ♥
Sorry friendw, i am off sick, unable to think or do anything. Just. headaches, fever, and worn out, I will come bacak here when having recovered. No perfection of anything. Blessings to you all.
wishing you a speedy recovery Ose, feel better.
Give your body all the love it deserves, Ose.🩷
Ose, sending healing thoughts your way. You are missed. Namaste
Soothing vibes your way dear Ose.
Feel better soon Ose
I am so sorry to hear,
dear Ose,
that you are not well today,
and hope that tomorrow
will be a brighter day.
Rest,
and have no worries . . . ♥
Letting go of perfection helps me to start new things. It’s never the perfect time or the perfect situation to start. So, by letting go of perfection,
I’m giving myself permissions to begin anyway.
Plus, the pursuit of perfection, seems to be an ego and perception driven goal. And if I think about being stuck, it’s partially due to this concept and standard. Making peace with the fact the I am broken and imperfect, has opened up so much in my life. I am mediocre at many things and they still bring me joy and satisfaction. 😁
You have learned a lesson,
dear Charlie,
that took me years to learn . . .
there is so much freedom
and absolute joy
in taking ‘perfection’
off of the list of things I strive for.
You make peace with what is,
which is what opens things up
so that we can see how beautiful
you are. ♥
I’m reminded of the saying, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning.” I enjoy learning new things and that inevitably involves making mistakes and not executing perfectly.
I can think of one habit I have that I could tweak a bit to reduce effort aimed toward perfection and thus free up time to do something else. I wouldn’t change it completely, though.
When I write emails I strive to think from the perspective of anyone I may be writing about. How would I feel reading it if this got forwarded to me, given what it says about my work? This is my value of kindness in action. Other emails aren’t about a person; I’m laying out a process, requesting information, summarizing a meeting.
What I could change (relax!): I reread the emails more times than I need to before sending, I think, trying to make them really good (perfect).
At this point in my life I’ve written thousands upon thousands of emails–I’m sure it’s in the hundreds of thousands as my jobs for decades have all been the kind of work that demands emails. I continue to get better at organizing information, and my kindness isn’t something I have to add in through editing.
I could strive to reread just once, for logic and completeness, and then hit send and move on! Don’t go back to reread. If I missed something, someone will ask and I can respond with the information. If no one misses it, we’ll all survive.
This question may give me more available moments in my day to do things that matter a great deal more than perfecting an email.
This question suits me as I am a perfectionist. Letting go of perfection shows me that I am human and make mistakes. Giving your best effort is good enough.
Have a great weekend everyone:)
You too,
dear Michele . . .
and have a sticky bun
just because. ♥
the picture of those looked soooo yummy
This question reminds me of stamp collectors or artists who transform errors into a special piece of art. I saw on TV a stamp collector who got a pretty unique stamp that appeared with a significant display error. There was no second stamp like that. Years have passed, and that stamp is worth a lot of money, and that guy never wanted to trade it. Is anyone here a painter? Yeah, there are, of course, moments when you accidentally have a special piece of art that is transformed from your mistakes. It’s unique! Anyway, the message of this question to me is that imperfection is a possibility of uniqueness. Happy Saturday, everyone! 💐
I had an art teacher many years ago,
dear Ngoc,
who said,
“if you make a mistake,
either fix it if you can,
or if you can’t,
make it look intentional . . .
it should never LOOK like a mistake. ♥
I’ve been told this about improvising musically. When you make a mistake, double down and make it look intentional.
😁
Yes! 🙂
My Ngoc, this reminds me of a few answers I saw here earlier but in different variations. Many people here share your sentiment. I can relate too as a conspiracy theorist myself who enjoys exploring unfamiliar view points. It’s what helps me play all sides without sacrifice.
I love this, Ngoc! “imperfection is a possibility of uniqueness.” Yes!
Being willing to make mistakes takes the pressure off, and I’m more willing to explore.
By letting go of perfectionism it helped to lessen my procrastination. I didn’t have to spend hours decluttering—just take 20 or 40 minutes, do what I could then in those moments. Then come back later. I felt a lightness on my shoulders. Ah!
Your practice of « 20 or 40 » minutes works for me as well, Carla. So often it turns into 30 or 60 minutes! So satisfying.
You inspire me! Decluttering is a constant need.
Fortunately, I’m not a perfectionist. Possibilities come easier with a laid back lifestyle. I have a good amount of time and energy available for exploration in whatever areas of interest I choose.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that perfectionism is a time-waster. I waste a LOT of time trying to make my day perfect, by not wasting time, by doing everything on my list, by checking and re-checking my schedules, calendars, clocks, lists, etc, to see if I’m getting everything done that I want to. When really I’m wasting time doing that! OR I waste time trying to make the perfect decision – what movie to see, what to choose on a menu, what move to make in playing a game – I drive other people nuts by my time wasting need for perfection. Who knows what joys, laughter, creativity I might experience if I just went with my gut and quit thinking so much – I don’t know if it’s overthinking or perfectionism – probably both. I pray about it a LOT –
Your comments remind me of the book Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman. He makes the point that we could never possibly do everything, so why beat ourselves up over the path not taken? We have this one life.
I read that book over the course of a month, one concept a day, which is how he designed it. I may go back and read it again for a refresher.
Katrina, as an autistic, I was once like that not too long ago. A slogan that has helped me is “Perfectionism is perf*cktionism.”
Katrina, as an autistic person, I was once like that not too long ago. A slogan I have there is “Perfectionism is perfucktionism.”
Making mistakes is making adjustments and opens up creativity.
I love this perspective.
I love it, Yram: trial and error.
Letting go of perfection is so freeing! It is lightness and spaciousness. Do I sound like the recovering perfectionist I am? Perfectionism became exhausting to me. Working hard to let that go was such a satisfying gift I gave to myself. On the other hand, if I ever need a heart surgeon, I hope they are a perfectionist.😉🩷
I join you as a recovering perfectionist!
🙂
I think that any good heart surgeon
knows how to work around anomalies
and differences in anatomy,
and will create a successful result . . .
at least I hope so,
dear Mary. 🙂
Mary Mantei, for most of us, we don’t need perfectionism. You make a great point about surgents. One wrong move can kill a patient.