unfinished projects OVERLOAD! Don’t worry, not mine!
Borrowed from someone else.
We all have one. You know, the list of “little projects” we want to work on. It doesn’t have to be elaborate; it can be as simple as finally printing off those photos from the disposable camera you gave the kids for their Disney vacation 4 years ago. Finding a frame for that adorable art work your son painted in Kindergarten, sending that friend a card & including that hilarious photo of the two of you in college, or printing off that poem that inspires you and placing it on the refrigerator.
So many people have said to me “ I am not creative” and I always disagree. According to good old Webster’s’ creative simply means:
| Relating to or involving the imagination or original ideas… |
Being Creative can mean rearranging the junk drawer or even looking at your schedule and finding more efficient ways to get everyone out the door in a happy mood.
When it comes to tackling my “Creative Queue” winter is my favorite season. It’s true I am a total wimp when it comes to the cold, I apparently am part lizard cause this Texas girl thrives in the heat and would be happy if it was a steady 75 degrees at all times.
When the cold East Coast months arrive I have a survival strategy:
- Lot’s of layers
- Electric blankets
- Space heaters
- TON’s of hot coffee and tea
- & getting started on my never ending “Creative Queue”
It’s getting started that most of us struggle with, and I think it’s because deep down we all struggle with perfectionism at some level.
At a scrapbook retreat last year I complained that I wasn’t 100% pleased with one of my pages, but a wonderful wise woman said “Darlin- as they say ‘done is better than perfect’!”
This saying has helped me so much. The perfectionist in me can keep me stuck & that box of old photos that I can’t decide what to do with just sits there year after year.
When I embrace the mentality of “Done is better than Perfect” I can actually feel the Creative Freedom it gives me! I suddenly realize that what matters is finishing the project, not worrying if it will be “the MOST AMAZING scrap book page ever done!” (Think of Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” and his daydream that his essay will earn him A++++++++++++ & everyone cheers.)
Yep, it’s true. Those kind of thoughts go through my head. It’s these thoughts that also keep me frozen. It’s this desire to impress and amaze other’s that keeps me from moving forward. It’s this flawed thinking that prevents me from simply releasing myself and doing what I enjoy the most which is “Creating”.
That’s my lecture for today. I really want to invite each of you to use your imagination this Winter. Be creative. Get it Done!
The powerful man we honor today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was “Creative”. He had a vision, he saw a new way things could be. His legacy is amazing. He wasn’t worried about being perfect, he was not caught up in the approval of others. By following his instincts and encouraging others to see things creatively he changed this nation.
O.K., maybe checking something off your Creative Queue won’t change the world, but it might brighten someones day, it might inspire you and those around you, it might add warmth and serenity to your home.
I’d love to hear what’s on your Creative Queue. What project or problem will you tackle this Season?
Perfectionism is a funny thing and can be a double edged sword. In all of my years spent as a graphic designer I lived by the idea that it’s the small details that matter, the little things that make a big difference in the finished product and that clients would most certainly know the difference. Good enough was not in my vocabulary. It has only been since moving to a new business model, that of tutoring Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom clients, that I have fully come to appreciate that “good enough” is in fact a desirable outcome. My client’s don’t need to master these applications to get their projects done – they need to learn specific tasks well enough. For the non obsessive this may not sound like a big deal. But for the recovering perfectionist it was a revelation.
So my goal for both the Winter months ahead and moving forward with my business is to refine and add value to the client experience by giving them their money’s worth in both quality and quantity.
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this discussion.
Thanks Gerry! I value your insight as a mentor and glad to know we are both “recovering perfectionist”!