perfect is not always good

Today I went to City Hall to take down my show. It didn't take long at all, always faster taking down a show than putting it up. I even met the mayor (but I think he thought that I was working there) he asked me what art show was coming next. So I told him. It's Jim Dine and Claus Oldenberg. Nice to be followed by such esteemed artists! Now I can say I showed at city hall before them. ha!

Then after that I ran to the art store to pick up more canvases then came home and started working. Then came home and worked on custom artwork orders (don't wait! Now's the time to get your Christmas orders in!) and then also tackled artwork for my new book.

The first part of my new book is due Nov 1st and I am getting all bunched up about it. I have been going through a hyper critical phase this past week where nothing I make is good enough and it is driving me crazy. All this perfectionism is really making it difficult to get work done. I no sooner select a color or an idea and then I go "no that's not good enough" and then I start over. Ugh! I need to shake this. I do this anytime I start on a major new project and it's very annoying. Perfectionism is the opposite of creativity and thinking something needs to be perfect is the worst way to start a creative project.

There's no easy way to resolve it when I get in this state of mind. Usually I keep forging ahead and keep making imperfect art until one day I wake up and am accepting of my (imperfect) work again. Sometimes it takes a couple weeks. It can get really old during those weeks though trying to shut up my inner voice that keeps saying "that's not good enough" ugh! shush nasty voice! Shush I tell you!