Perfectionism

In Defense of Creative People Who Are Messy — Embrace The Glorious Mess That You Are!

Posted by jackikellum on

Since early spring, I have been working daily, trying to tidy things up. Most of my efforts have been focused on my garden — My thought: “One Space at a Time,” and several moments, I have almost reached perfection outside.

Jacki Kellum Garden – July 22, 2024

But when I get to that point of near perfection, I invariably dance around three times, the wind blows and Splat! Things fall apart again. [Hint: the wind that blows is the breeze stirred by the wings of the fairies who are bringing me an idea for my next project.]

But for weeks at a time, I  chastise and punish myself because I’m such a mess.

In Defense of Creative People Who Are Messy — Embrace The Glorious Mess That You Are!

Today, I have been working outside, trying to re-organize and clean up some of my most recent messes, but it’s August in Mississippi. Frequent retreats inside have been necessary.  I decided to utilize some of my inside time by asking Google why I tend to be messy. The answer heartened me a bit

My Messiness is Linked to My Creativity. Yours Probably Is, Too.

Creative people can be messy for a number of reasons, including:

“Prioritizing
Creative people are often quick decision-makers who can adapt to their environment. They may prioritize what matters most and save energy by not organizing things like putting away pens. [or replacing the lids on tubes of paint–I do that quite often-or failing to “put up” the ton of tomatoes that they brought inside yesterday. Now, they are drawing every fruit fly alive to their countertops. (“Put up” is rural for freeze or can or otherwise get fresh produce off the kitchen cabinet–away from the ravenous fruit fies.)]

“Hoarding

Some creative people may have hoarding behaviors because they can think of multiple uses for items, but these ideas rarely come to fruition, resulting in clutter. [You are not a hoarder unless you have a collection of fabric that swells the walls of your guest room–like it’s a too-ripe watermelon. I am a horder. I save all kinds of nits and nots for mirage projects looming on the horizon. One of the problems in my garden is I have saved 10,000 black pots that once housed the plants in my garden. I also hoard cardboard. If you have read any of my garden posts, you know that I put cardboard beneath my raised beds.. But what should I do with all that cardboard-in-waiting?]
“Creative process
Creative work can be messy because it involves chaos and entanglement of ideas, projects, and inspirations. This mess can lead to unexpected connections and new ideas. For example, an artist might use many paints and ideas while drawing, which can create a lot of mess.” Google ai

Yes! Yes! Yes! I’m All of the Above!

I continued to read: The opposite of the Creative Messes are the Uptight and Rigid Control Freaks. In most cases, Control Freaks Are Perfectionists, and Their Perfectionisms Are Rooted in Fear

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life…. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren’t even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they’re doing it.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Perfectionism Is Rooted in Fear

“At its root, perfectionism isn’t really about a deep love of being meticulous. It’s about fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of failure. Fear of success.” ― Michael Law

A Need for Perfectionism Sparks the Internal Editor that Destroys Both the Writer’s and the Artist’s Work

Heaven Knows, I Don’t Want to Be A Perfectionist. Do You?

You Can’t Have It Both Ways!

“Creatives tend to have a messier space because they don’t lose themselves in small details, their brain is trained to see the big picture and this is why putting a pen back in a drawer is not a priority.” Google ai

Whew! What a Relief! I believe that I like my messy self better than I like the idea of being rigid and perfectionistic. As I said before, I am pleased by this report.

I’ve decided that I’ll just be thankful that I am messy, creative, and free to fail–again and again and again. I’ve decided to embrace the glorious mess that I am. Join Me!

 

 

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