Does it have to be perfect?

Not long ago, I began working on a revamp of one of many of my old illustrations. It started well enough…I made the initial rough sketches and filled in the details on what I wanted and how this particular character would be drawn. However, as I went on, I began to internally grow skeptical about how the overall drawing looked. I started looking at every line that I had drawn; trying to find any little imperfection that may be apparent.

I have an Instagram account, and on Instagram, I follow several different artists and creators. Mostly, I follow because I genuinely enjoy looking at their work and also, because sometimes I find that looking at another creator’s work helps in terms of finding inspiration for myself. But for a long time now, that hasn’t been the case. For years, it was hard for me to pick up a pencil and draw something.

I found it difficult to translate the images I conjured within my imagination onto paper, or in this case my tablet. And what was once a source of inspiration, quickly became a source of anxiety. Instagram, along with several other social media platforms has allowed many creatives an outlet to show their work and connect with like-minded people. However, it turned into a source of comparison for me and it manifested inside me in a very negative way. There is a saying that “comparison is the thief of joy,” and it rings true.

Instead of finding inspiration, I ruminated on the negative. I compared my work to others and felt like I didn’t measure up. I would sit back and look at the follower counts and positive comments on some of my favorite artist’s work and think that there may be something wrong with what I am doing.

This line of thinking, along with other factors, began to affect not only my artwork but my creative drive as a whole. For the past few years now, I had found it difficult to enjoy even the process of creating art.

I don’t want to spend the entirety of this blog post writing about social media or my despondency with my art. So, I’m going to go ahead and make my point here.

After going back; erasing, retouching, and recoloring my picture. I was adding some colors to my drawing, I stopped to just look at it. I looked at it and compared it to my older art from nine years ago. I thought to myself, “It doesn’t look that bad it looks slightly better.”

“Does it have to be perfect?”

Does it?! Asking that question made me realize how much I held myself back from really seeing improvement. I can’t continue feeling sorry for myself and using comparison as an excuse. If I want to see results, I have to put in the work.

Now, I decided that whenever I begin any of my drawings…if any anxious thought comes to mind about how the picture looks, I recite to myself, “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

That sketch may not look exactly the way you would like it but keep at it. Eventually, you’ll find your rhythm and everything else will flow.