Is Perfectionism Blocking Your Creative Flow?
Perfectionism is a coping strategy. An attempt to control our life away from anxiety. Alas, the peace is only temporary – Cory Muscara
Ooooft, right?
If there’s one thing that keeps popping up for so many artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs, it's this sneaky little trickster called perfectionism—especially in those early years of your career.
Here’s how it loves to mess with you👇
Constantly ‘waiting’ for inspiration to strike, before you pick up that brush
Hiding away your art until it’s “just perfect,” and in doing so, hiding your magic and stopping people from discovering (and buying) your work.
Being so self-critical of your work that you end up frozen in place, unable to move forward.
And the worst part? It’s slowing you down just when you’re trying to build that thriving art career…
Now, we totally get it. Wanting to get it ‘right’ and making your work the best it can be are pretty reasonable goals, right?
But here’s the kicker: procrastination is just a habit—a sneaky way you’ve learned to stay safe and reduce stress, probably since childhood.
And while it might feel like you’re protecting yourself, it could actually be the very thing holding you back.
Let’s be real: if you’re spending more time editing, erasing, procrastinating, and stalling than actually creating and sharing, you might be more dedicated to your perfectionism than your art. 🥹
If comparison is the thief of joy, then perfectionism is the thief of creativity.
Yep, it’s a tough pill to swallow. But we’re not here to scare or shame you…
We’re sharing this because we’ve been there, done that, and got the (slightly crumpled) t-shirt.
And we want to pass along some tips that helped us—because this is ABSOLUTELY something you can move past, if you choose to.
If you’re nodding along thinking, “Oh my god, yes, this is exactly what’s been holding me back,” we highly recommend watching this video from Mel Robbins—she’s also got a bunch of books on this topic.
Here’s a powerful step-by-step process that Mel talks about, and if you practice it, over time, it will start to change your reality:
Recognise you’re procrastinating and give yourself a break—seriously, forgive yourself.
Figure out what’s stressing you out—are you afraid of failure, judgement, or rejection?
Think about what the ‘future you’ would want you to do right now.
The 5-second rule—countdown from 5 and just TAKE ACTION.
Let us know how you go with this!
We’re cheering you on every step of the way.
Wishing you all the creative abundance,
Claire & Tom
P.S. Did you miss the last LIVE round of Going [ART] Pro? No worries—pop your name on the waitlist here, and you’ll be the first to know about future opportunities, plus access to bonuses and other cool stuff.
