Do it messy!

The Joyful Creative

I almost didn't record an episode this week because I'm away from home and don't have my microphone with me and I was concerned about the sound quality. But then I remembered my new motto "Done is better than perfect" (not mine originally but I'm embracing it!) and realised I should just get resourceful and do it anyway, even if the results are a little messy.

The same goes for creativity. We could all use the excuse of having lack of time or other resources or the lack of faith our own ability to stop ourselves from doing cool creative things. But that would just be dull and lead to regrets. I say do it messy and do it anyway!

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TRANSCRIPT:

Well, hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Joyful Creative. Today, I'm recording this episode directly into my laptop rather than through a microphone because I'm currently away from home again, and I don't have my full set up with me. I'm currently staying in what used to be student accommodation in Canberra. And it's quite an older buildings so when people come in and out of their rooms and use the shared bathrooms, the doors tend to bang quite loudly and also, while the location is great for getting around and going out for coffees and restaurants and things there is a constant street noise. There are sirens and horns happening all the time. And so I just hope that it doesn't affect your enjoyment over listening to this episode.

I normally pride myself on a high level of professionalism. It might be the performer in me, I really want my audience to have a great experience. So when I knew I was going to be away and I wouldn't be able to bring my microphone and headphones with me, I almost thought that I'd have to miss a week of recording this podcast. But this year, I've really turned a corner where perfectionism is concerned. And where before I would stop myself from doing something, if it wasn't going to be perfect or I would procrastinate and overthink it, or just take a really long time completing it, now my new motto is "Done is better than perfect" I didn't come up with that myself. You might've heard it before. For me, it's taken some pushing out of my comfort zone to embrace this. And to be honest, I still don't really like it. I still don't like feeling like I'm doing things half-assed or not quite to the best of my ability. But also I recognize that it's not that I'm lazy or I don't care, or that I'm happy with what I deem to be a sloppy outcome. But the fact is sometimes I have less than optimal resources available to me. Like right now, not having my microphone. Usually the lacking resource is time. And of course, if I had a microphone with me now, I would use it. If I had unlimited time, I would spend more of it on perfecting everything I do, but I don't. And so the alternative is that I either do things imperfectly or I don't do them at all. And I've come to the conclusion this year in particular that in my short time on this earth, I would rather just get things done and achieve things and have the experiences with the time and resources I have rather than not do them at all. And I really just have to let go of the unrealistic expectations of myself and give myself credit for what I do manage to achieve.

It's interesting isn't it? That if we were talking to a child or a friend, we would be nothing but encouraging of them for having an idea and going for it. We wouldn't judge their outcome, We would admire their efforts and willingness to have a crack. You know, we'd never say "Look, if you can't do it perfectly, you just really shouldn't even try" So why do we say this to ourselves? I mean, not only is it really unkind, but it's stifling and it can lead to regrets when we look back on things we wanted to do or make happen, but we stopped ourselves.

So when it comes to creativity or just in life, are you stopping yourself from making something starting a new project, picking up a new medium or exploring something new because a) you lack faith in your ability to do it perfectly or b) you lack the resources to do it perfectly? If you answered yes to either of those, first of all, to a) you like faith in your ability to do it perfectly... I'm going to give you some tough love here and remind you that no one does anything perfectly when they first begin. Absolutely no successful artist sat down on day one and could draw paint knit, write, sew, dance or sing the way they could when they became renowned for it. They went through the process, just like everyone else. So you actually have to start if you have any chance of getting close. And it's an ongoing process of course. That's why they call it practice.

You need to start off scrappy and keep chipping away at it until you have refined your skills. And look, if you have a go at something and find that you're just not digging it after you've given it a red hot crack, then just drop it and pick up something else. But please don't not do something because you think you won't be good at it.

And the perfection piece extends to showing your work as well. Look, I believe everyone's creative practice is individual to them and if you love creating simply for the joy of the process and you love to keep it all private, then that's completely your call. However, if you are keen to post your work on social media put it on a website, have a public exhibition or a performance or are simply interested in feedback from a fellow creative mentor or friend, don't wait until you think your work is perfect or good enough to show. Yes, I know it's scary to put yourself out there when there is a chance, the response could be negative. But I think you'll find that people are more supportive than you anticipate. I mean, most people will admire the fact that you put yourself and your work out there. And it might even encourage them to do the same. It's also good to be open to constructive feedback from people you trust. It's a great way to improve and gain an insight to how your work is perceived by others and how it affects them. And in the case of someone being mean enough to give nasty feedback. Just try to shake it off . In the words of Taytay haters gonna hate. And remember that the tone of it says more about them and how they feel about themselves than it is about you.

And to point b) That you lack resources to do it perfectly... Well, here's where you can really exercise your creativity by getting resource- ful. Right now, luckily I don't have to get too resourceful in getting this podcast recorded because I can just use the laptop mic and be okay with a slightly lower sound quality. But, yeah, I'm glad that I didn't not do it because I think it's going to be perfectly fine anyway. But when it comes to lack of time, As I've said in previous episodes. if you don't have huge chunks of time, and let's face it, who does. Then be okay, with just a few minutes at a time or whatever you can manage. If it's lack of appropriate space, like a creative space, maybe look into hiring borrowing sharing a space or use whatever space you have available at home and adapt your practice accordingly. Just until you do have the ideal space.

At the moment, I am really itching to do some painting on canvases. But the creative space that I have at home, it's a good size, but it has carpet on the floor. So it's not really ideal for painting and getting really messy. So at the moment I'm sticking to watercolour and pens and just things that I can do on a desktop and there's no real risk of the carpet getting stained. So I'm just adapting what I'm doing but I'm managing to still be creative and that's the whole point.

If it's tools and materials you lack, or it's probably more than money to buy tools because they are available to buy online if not locally.... Put feelers out to your communities or networks and ask if anyone has gear that they're looking to offload because they are done with it. Or Facebook marketplace Gumtree or second-hand sites are full of musical instruments, materials, tools, and art supplies for almost any discipline and some are free to good homes. So get resourceful and get what you need and get started. Because otherwise the alternative is to not do anything at all. And that just sounds dull and defeatist rather than inventive and expensive.

And by the way, I'm just going to talk about the word perfection. Because perfection is so subjective isn't it? Especially in creativity. And there never really is a moment when you reach perfection, it's an ongoing quest. And chances are, even if you have worked at your craft for the ideal amount of time, with the ideal materials in the ideal space, under the ideal conditions, you may never feel it's perfect. There'll always be something more to learn and really for me, anyway, perfection is not even the point of creativity. The benefits my practice has on my wellbeing are worth the time I put into it, no matter what the outcome. And I really hope that you feel the same about your practice and just do it messy rather than not at all. It's so important for you and I'd hate to think that you are stopping yourself because any of those conditions are imperfect.

So until next time my friends keep creative and I'll be back with another episode next week. See you then.

Bye.

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