Perfectionism & Creativity

Perfectionism is defined as one’s tendency to set excessively high personal standards (Frost et al.,1990). There are 2 types of perfectionism – normal and neurotic. Normal perfectionists set high standards but leave room for reasonable mistakes and changes. Conversely, the neurotic ones leave no room for mistakes and are very critical about themselves. One needs to know how their excess perfection could kill their creativity.

All of us know someone who is obsessive about hygiene, organizing stuff or keeping everything in an orderly fashion. They are disturbed even at the slightest change in something’s orientation- that monitor has to be ninety degrees to the table and the books have to stand at attention on the shelf. Does this OCD of sorts kill creativity or foster it?

Likewise, does living a disciplined austere life which involves following the same routine everyday strangle creativity? The answer is definitely evasive but not farfetched.

Consider people with OCD, a creature of habit, whose routine has been fixed for a long time. They do not deviate much from the said routine, thereby leading a bland life without much room for novelty. Friends made an impromptu plan? Can’t join in, because it disrupts their routine. They spend their lives obsessing over petty things, even nitpicking and remain perpetually stressed. A standoffish existence, which is too structured and rigid, leads to the existential angst of sorts. A sure killer of creativity.

Now, consider people who adhere to YOLO and live life on impulse every day, making decisions without prior thought. They swim along with the tide, succumbing to the siren song of every idea- theirs or others’. Mr/Ms nonchalant can’t find their keys, wallet, phone, etc., and spend the day scouring the house for them. It would be insane to think that a cluttered existence, like the one in question, leaves room for being creative solely because of a lack of perfectionism. So perfection and creativity go hand in hand.

It’s not necessary to get it done right at one go, in case of a creative perfectionist, be it a content creator or writers, nodding over every sentence you write will make your thoughts of creativity blunt. You are not imagining something creative to put down instead, aiming for perfection, you just think of flowery words or phrases.

The creative vision is a bundle of rough ideas; it is so rare to put down the same thing as you imagined. Don’t have fear of getting rejected because research also shows rejection fuel to your creativity and that’s the point Normal perfectionist(adaptive) would opt for rather than the neurotic(maladaptive) one who is giving no room for any changes. Neurotic is definitely not the type of ‘Perfectionism’ one should look for.

There are some self-help strategies for Perfectionism-

• Try an activity wherein you are not so perfect, put in the efforts, and don’t obsess about the result.
• Try a new hobby, where the likelihood of making mistake is higher. Enjoy the process of learning rather than thinking of what you will achieve.
• Think of positive replacements for your harsh evaluation of reaching perfectionism.

The answer to the question- “To be or not to be (perfect)?”- lies in leading a semi-structured life. One that is marked by routine, but gives leeway to new activities. One that is organized, but flexible. One that is not stagnant, but nurtures creativity.

Discipline gives us the freedom to be creative, having paid our bills on time and without having to worry about trivialities like daily chores.

Perfection, in the right amount, is the best recipe. Thus try to establish a balance that your perfection doesn’t hamper your creativity.

Also read not everyone has to be a Doctor or an Engineer

One Life. Live Boundless.