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The Joy And Pain Of Making Art
Why you shouldn’t allow perfectionism stop you from the joy and healing benefits of making art.
“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
Aaaah! The creative journey. What a joy and what a right old pain!
Somewhere around 2000, 2006, 2018 and 2021, I took up and dropped art making. I’ve made numerous attempts at following that unrelenting creative call but with little success, until now.
When I’d see a beautiful piece of art, whether it was printed fabric, street art or a glazed pot, I’d feel immediate joy. Visual art lit up my inner globe and I really wanted to be part of this creative world. But time and again, I’d start with enthusiasm and a basket full of tools and materials, only to see me, and my art supplies, languish on the shelf of promises unkept, gathering dust and being forgotten. There was an inner love/hate conflict that I struggled to resolve.
Despite my strong desire, what was it that continually stopped me?
It was Perfectionism with a capital P. Pure and simple. Sadly perfectionism is anything but pure or simple and at its zenith can be highly destructive. Yes, it’s good to strive for the best possible outcome, especially…
