“It’s got to be perfect” the old song goes. And many of us, when we’re doing any kind of work, can easily begin to think it has to be.

After all, we live in a world where value comes from what you produce, what you earn, your position, and, at times, your relationship status. That’s one of the main reasons we buy into perfectionism so easily. The pursuit of perfection is ingrained in our culture.

But perfectionism can kill our joy, it can ultimately bring us down, and make us feel worthless. And as indeed research has shown it to have a negative impact on our physical and mental health, and decrease our chances of success.

And in art, it can prevent us from ever sharing our work, and freeze our creativity.