Mistake #6 Perfectionism
Think back to the first time you rode a bike. Were you able to ride it on your very first try?
Probably not. It took some practice. Maybe even some training wheels. But you kept at it. You kept falling. And you kept getting back on that bike because you were determined to ride it. Maybe you even had some help along the way. Eventually you were able to ride all by yourself without the training wheels. And didn't that feel great!
Your art is the same way. It's not going to be perfect the first time, or even the second time, or even the third time.
It takes practice to get it the way you want it. (Notice I did not say "It takes practice to get it right." Whatever your vision for that piece is the "right" way to create it.)
One of the problems many artists have is that they aren't able to immediately get the vision they have in their head onto the canvas, or clay, or fiber, or whatever the medium.
Maybe the necessary skills have not yet been developed. Or maybe the vision isn't clear enough. Or maybe the wrong materials are being used. Whatever the reason, the vision of the piece you have in your head is not what is coming out.
When this happens you may start making excuses. You may procrastinate. You may get to the point where you are so afraid of making a mistake that you don't create anything at all.
Don't fall into this trap.
Part of the creative process is to make mistakes. Even this book required several drafts and the help of outside perspectives before it was complete. This is how you learn. The more mistakes you make the closer you come to creating that masterpiece.
Action Step
Keep practicing! Maybe the first try didn't
turn out the way you imagined it.
Try it again.
And again.
And again.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter from the book, "The Shy Artist's Guide to the 10 Biggest (and Totally Avoidable) Mistakes that Keep You From Being a Successful Artist." To read more get your copy at Amazon.