Monday, February 1, 2010

Avoiding Perfectionism

Recently, I was excited to finally meet and have a photo shoot with my very first famous person. I wasn't so much nervous about meeting a celebrity, but I was anxious about getting all the reference information I would need and thoughts about the potential benefit to my career were buzzing in the back of my mind.

I had worked long and hard to first contact and then convince this person to agree to pose for me. You would think, given the importance I had assigned to this painting, that I would immediately and unceasingly work on it. However, I have had a surprisingly hard time with the progress of this piece and have found all kinds of excuses to do anything other than work on it.

Fortunately, since the holiday season has ended, the kids have gone back to school and external demands on my time have decreased, I have finally gotten into the groove and back into the studio most days of the week, with the painting progressing well.

How have I overcome the perfectionism that was stalling my progress? I have decided to do an adequate job and just enjoy the process. Once I start painting, I am in the moment, and no thoughts of grandeur interfere with the process.

Procrastination due to fear of failure is at the heart of most avoidance behavior when it comes to artistic endeavors. I had built up in my mind the extreme importance of creating a masterpiece with this commission. Telling yourself that this painting must rival the work of Rembrandt is a sure way to become frozen with indecision and fear.

So, get into your studio and just do it. No one can predict whether the end result will be amazing or mediocre, but getting in the flow and letting the magic occur will guarantee that you enjoy the process and isn't that really what painting is all about?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am surprised to be the first comment since this must be almost every artist's complaint. Thanks for the reminder to focus on the process not on the outcome. All that anxiety melts away when the work actually gets started.