Thursday, August 16, 2007

Anti-Perfection Virus Protection

Duette is always Of Two Minds. She can see both sides of the story. She is the most fickle of muses because she can be swayed to another side with a good argument. You would not want her on a jury or maybe you would. She is also fair to a fault. This makes her a strong devil's advocate but a terrible decision maker. If she ever does make a decision she can second guess herself again and again.

As I ready myself for my classes, I try to have every detail worked out. I have been teaching for many years now, most of the kinks have been worked out. I have lists - supply lists, technique lists, color lists, flow of class lists...and each is checked several times before I leave. This is a well-oiled machine. So why do I second-guess myself?

Do you have trouble making up your mind about your art? Does it affect your creativity? Do you spend hours dwelling on the piece, trying to make it perfect? Perfection thwarts creativity and success. Do you have the perfection virus?

Today's aMUSEment - We are going to work on an anti-perfection virus protection. Do you know that some people are so afraid of not being perfect they actually never start doing something they love? The postpone that one thing that could fill their life with creativity and joy. I am going to tell you my best secret - you don't have to have a beginning to start. Some people wait until they have the perfect beginning before they start. This is stinkin' thinkin' and it prevents you from having a lot of fun. Set the timer for 6 minutes. Get your journal or paper and pen and start to write about the happiest day in your life. How old were you? What were you doing? How did you feel? Who were you with? Where were you? Just put the pen to paper and write as fast as you can. Don't edit as you go even if it seems silly. Don't lift the pen from the paper. Just keep writing until the timer rings. Then read over your musings. Somewhere in there is the beginning line. This can be applied to art - just make a mark on the surface. Music - just write the tune you are hearing or the words you want to Say. Dance - just start to move or sway. Poetry - write a line you want to use. Just start and the beginning will come.
You don't have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.
U Be Creative Today!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a good post - I like the "stinkin thinkin"! Sometimes just starting is so hard, but once I get going I don't over think or get caught up in perfection. My daughter does though, we're working on that.

Manuela

Lisa Oceandreamer Swifka said...

I love this post! I definitely have the Perfection Virus and I am working hard to get rid of it. I will work and rework and rework some more until I almost destroy something. Because in my mind "who would even want to look at this,look at all the problems in it". It is definitely STINKIN' THINKIN'!
I think it goes deeper than just worrying how something looks though, I think this sort of thinkin' comes from "am I good enough?" shall I lie on the couch now? ha!
I'm a work in progress!
XOXO