Perfection

I had an interesting little conversation with Gwyned Trefethen this past weekend.  On her blog she is talking about perfection and how she doesn't pursue it.  I commented that I don't aim for perfection either.  In return, Gwyned said 'Who defines perfect, anyway?'  What a great question!  Is it me?  The creator of the work?  I was raised in the Christian tradition.  The creation story has been hotly debated but the time frame is not important to me.  What is important is this 'And God saw that it was good.'  It is interesting to me that the word good not perfect is used. Just a little something to ponder.

Years ago I recognized that perfection does not come easily to me.  In an effort to make my life better I decided I would not chase down that rabbit hole.   Call me lazy but I am all about making my life easier.  No one else is going to do that for me.  I will not let perfectionism rob me of the joy of creating. Years ago I saw a quote that said, 'Done is better than perfect'.  

Comments

Queeniepatch said…
Who defines 'perfect'? That is a difficult question.
Exact is a different thing. 'Exact' is when there is a standard set by others, e.g. a measurement like mg or the speed of light. Let's accept that and leave any debate to scientists.
'Perfect' surely is much more personal. What is perfect to one, is not near enough perfect to another. Some people prefer, need or love perfectly straight or even seams or letters, others find charm in nature's uneven and irregular design.
Whether we chase perfectionism in our own work or not, I think depend on our personality, or our upbringing.
Whether we demand perfectionism from others must depend on the situation. When running a nuclear power station you MUST follow the set standards of perfectionism and exactness for safety reasons. When looking at art, however, we must not demand that other artists do work perfectly.
Trying to do things perfectly can be very stressful to some, but others find imperfection stressful. Some people need to have a place for everything and everything in its place, others thrive in a place of chaos....
Let's celebrate individuality!

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