Procrastination in a fancy outfit

“Perfectionism is just procrastination in a fancy outfit.”
–Jen Sincero

Yesterday, a group of 15 artists and I finished the 15-Day Creative Consistency Challenge. I ran this challenge (in part) for research purposes. I know my struggle with perfectionism hasn’t been as bad as others’, and I wanted to see how a hard-and-fast daily deliverable would work for other people. It helped me make progress in the past, but I’m just one guy, with one set of experiences. 

Based on some early feedback from the group, a hard-and-fast daily creative deliverable for a short-term challenge works wonders. Here’s what a few folks have said so far…

“The constraint freed my work from my overthinking, over-complication, and scope-creep. It wasn’t more difficult, it made the work more possible.”

“Pushing myself through something, even if it is not perfect, helps me identify different aspects of my creativity I need to work on.”

“This challenge has added beauty to my life over the past couple of weeks. I’ve felt more me, more balanced, and fallen in love with that feeling of having created. Regardless of the outcome, I’ve improved my practice of kind self-talk, and the courage to begin again the next day.” 

I’ve always talked down on perfectionism, because it keeps us from sharing our work with people who will love it. Secretly though, I’ve wondered if my work would be better if I was a little more of a perfectionist. I’m coming to believe the Jen Sincero quote more and more—that perfectionism is just procrastination in a fancy outfit. The benefits of consistency, not only to the mental side of art, but also to the substance of the art are incredible. 

When these artists and I were able to create and share something every single day for 15 days, we were empowered, encouraged, and gained serious momentum. 

P.S. If you’re interested in the next 15-Day Creative Consistency Challenge, join the waitlist here.