Comments on: Combating Perfectionism in Art

By: Laurie Appleby-Williams

Laurie Appleby-Williams — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:29:56 +0000

Oy. Perfectionism. It’s so bad for me that I am to the point where I am so crippled by it that I just don’t make work at all! I know it will be a struggle for me to do so but I will try your tips. Thank you!

By: Miranda

Miranda — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:21:03 +0000

Hey Jen! I agree, making mistakes is the best way to develop new techniques. It’s all about being aware of what you’re doing and how you’re correcting yourself. Your painting group sounds like a lot of fun!

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 06:30:33 +0000

I paint with friends on a regular basis. Some are experienced, such as my sister who has been painting as long as I have, and some have never picked up a brush before. I always tell people “Art” is all of the mistakes you make while making “Art”. It’s all about having fun, not getting stressed. I love figuring out how to fix mistakes – it usually turns into a technique I’ll use on purpose in the future.

By: Miranda

Miranda — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:56:48 +0000

That sounds like a good system, Wayne. You know when there is no happiness left in your art that it’s time to change something up! Thanks for sharing.

No cures for the perfectionist blogger, Lori, sorry! Although I do think perfectionism has its place, and maybe blogging is one of them?

Dena, perfectionism aside, I also have a tendency to overwork my paintings. I always think there’s one last little tweak and as soon as it’s finished, I realize that I’ve ruined it! I’ve never heard teh Toll House cookie story, but I love it!

By: Dena Tollefsn

Dena Tollefsn — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:44:19 +0000

Hi Miranda-
Excellent ideas/advice for avoiding perfectionism/overworking a piece! There have been so many times when I thought a painting was unfinished or needed to be tweaked and someone liked it as-is! I guess that shows that each individual person will see your work in a different way; some want to have a fully completed piece, others want to “finish” it in their mind… also interesting how as artists we have in our mind’s eye how the finished piece should look- and get frustrated if it isn’t going the way we want. Sometimes these lead to advances in technique or a new style.
Reminds me of the Toll House cookie story where the Toll House woman wanted to make chocolate cookies, but did not have cocoa powder so she subsititued chunks of chocolate in the dough assuming they would disperse and make a homogenous dark dough. Her lack of perfectionism led to the wonders of the chocolate chip cookie…

Love your work!

Regards,
Dena Tollefson

http://www.denatollefson.com
http://www.denatollefson.blogspot.com

By: lori mcnee

lori mcnee — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:58:10 +0000

Hi Miranda,

Your site really looks great! I enjoyed this article and like your list to subvert perfectionism in art.

I find that plein air painting really works because there is no time for fussing around with perfection – that’s part of the charm of an outdoor painting.

Now if you only have list for subverting perfectionism in blogging – lol!

Best-
Lori

By: Wayne Tully

Wayne Tully — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:54:04 +0000

I used to stress about my art so much, it over took the happiness that it gave when I could draw, so now I’ve organized my art into either concepts/ideas or finished pieces, even the unfinished concepts/ideas still are classed as art and often it’s the sketchy unfinished art that looks better and it has an energy to it.

Once I feel like I am going to be too perfectionist in my art I back off and start another drawing or piece of art and come back to it or I don’t, if the ideas are there, then I just move on and start again, so more art does equal quality in the end….!

Good post!