Let go of perfectionism and enjoy creating!

Does being a perfectionist prevent you from enjoying or trying new creative hobbies? Perfectionism has held me back in life for so long. The imperfect art journal is the segment of the of the blog I am most excited about for this reason.

I had wanted to learn how to draw or paint for as long as I can remember but was always held back by the notion that I’m not an artistic person. I would see how naturally talented classmates were at art and remind myself, “you’re book smart and logical, you’re not meant to be good at creative endeavors. It’s best to just avoid them.” The longer I have been an adult though, I have realized how important it is to have a creative outlet to balance out the work I do at my 9-5.

About a year ago, I decided to approach art a little differently. I sectioned my sketch book into tiny squares and cut my watercolor paper up into small pieces. The small size of my canvas made starting so much less daunting and gave me permission to not be perfect. “Wasting” such a minuscule amount of time and supplies if a messed up gave me the push I needed to start.

I am still only mediocure after a year, but I now carry a sketch book in my purse and draw or paint any chance I get. Removing the desire to be perfect has turned art into an enjoyable and relaxing hobby and has helped me let go of perfectionism in my day to day life as well.

If you’re interested in starting your own Imperfect Art Journal, every Wednesday I am going to give you an idea of something simple you can add to it. All you need to do is pick out a sketch book. There are a huge range of sizes and styles available. I recommend a mixed media sketch book so you have freedom to use a variety of mediums. I also advise you to keep it on the smaller side to start out. That has made my journey easier. However, go with whatever size you are most drawn to!

Once you have your sketch book, start out with just a basic pencil and draw a cover page. You can use block letters you fill with patterns like I did or even just write in it. The key is to make sure you mess up somewhere. As you can see in the picture of my cover page, the writing is smudged and the letters aren’t straight or evenly sized. If your very first page already has a mistake though, it takes away the pressure of perfection!

Do you think having a place dedicated to imperfect art will help give you the freedom to start creating? Is anything still holding you back? If so, let’s chat in the comments and help you get started! I am looking forward to embarking on this imperfect art journey and letting go of perfectionism together! Feel free to be creative and fill up the pages of your journal between ideas shared here!