Perfection

Another thing that you all need to know about me is that I'm a perfectionist. It can be a bit of a problem. If I can't do something they way that I want it to be done, than I won't do it at all. I was that kid who would read The Diary of Anne Frank and decide to keep a journal. And if I forgot to write in that journal one day, I would rip all the pages out and start over. I'm that person who hates my dirty room, but I won't tidy up if I don't have time to clean everything.

My perfectionism probably posed the biggest problem while earning my degree. Sketching is not an easy task for those who seek perfection. I don't want to commit to any designs, put any ideas on paper until I have a fluid idea. I found it difficult to revel in my mistakes as my teachers so encouraged me to do. And even if I were to put my thoughts on the page, how could I allow anyone else to look at it?

It's funny that I strive for perfection so desperately. After all, perfection in and of itself is a relative idea built by the culture and more specifically the subcultures we live in. This is assuming that such a concept can even exist. I think that most people, including myself, think of perfection as that ultimate level of complete satisfaction with oneself. We think of it is a physical goal that has specific boundaries.  But, now that I really think about it, I believe that we are looking at perfection completely wrong. Perfection is not a static tangible goal, rather it is an ever changing motivation that pushes people forward in life. 

Not everyone strives for perfection, and those who are consumed by it are met with an anxious life filled with half finished blog posts that take a week to post. I think the best thing we can do is stay motivated, but not worry so much about whether or not our work is absolutely perfect.  I think the sooner I understand and apply that to my everyday life, the happier I will be. 

As Salvador Dali said, "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it."