If you're reading this post, there's a good chance you might be putting off your painting practice, even though you truly want to dive in and create. Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Procrastination is a common hurdle for many artists, and it often stems from an unlikely source: perfectionism.
While it’s easy to think that perfectionism is a good thing, something that pushes you to produce high-quality work, it can also become a barrier. When your standards are so high that they steal the joy from your art, or when you feel too anxious to even start, perfectionism becomes a problem.
If you find yourself constantly gathering inspiration, tutorials, or supplies but rarely making time to actually paint, you might be stuck in the perfectionism-procrastination loop. It’s a cycle that can keep going until you find a way to break free. But the good news is that it’s possible to overcome this, and I’m here to help you do just that.
In this post, I’ll share some tips that have helped me manage my perfectionism and procrastination tendencies, allowing me to create more art and enjoy the process without constantly worrying about the outcome. If you’ve been struggling with starting or finishing your paintings, these tips will help you understand why and, more importantly, how to change that.
So, let’s dive in and start turning your creative blocks into creative breakthroughs!
Perfectionism is Not Your Friend
There are many things that can hold us back from starting or improving our creative hobbies. For some, it’s the fear of a blank page, of messing up the early stages of a painting, or of not measuring up to the talented artists you see on social media. But at the heart of these fears is the desire to get things perfect.
The trouble with this is that perfection doesn’t exist—especially in art. Art is subjective, and what one person sees as a masterpiece might be overlooked by someone else. Even the most successful artists in the world don’t appeal to everyone.
Your idea of perfection is uniquely yours, and it can change over time. You might spend weeks perfecting a painting, only to look at it years later and wonder what you were thinking. This doesn’t mean the painting was bad; it was just a reflection of where you were in your art journey at that time.
As artists, we often pressure ourselves to meet impossible standards, only to criticize ourselves when we inevitably fall short. This cycle will continue unless we can identify its source and stop it before it does too much damage.
Art is about progress, not perfection. If you’re struggling to start or finish your paintings, it might be time to rethink your approach. Instead of aiming for perfect, focus on enjoying the process and learning along the way. The more you paint, the more you’ll improve, and your standards will naturally evolve.
Perfectionism, Meet Procrastination
It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re not seeing progress in your work. Instead of painting, you might find yourself watching another episode on Netflix, buying more supplies, or searching for more tutorials. These activities feel productive, but they’re just another form of procrastination.
Procrastination is a safety net. It lets you avoid the possibility of failure or criticism by keeping you from creating anything at all. But if you want to improve as an artist, you have to push past this. It’s time to let go of perfectionism’s safety blanket and start creating.
Next time you catch yourself criticizing your work or worrying about wasting supplies, ask yourself if you would speak to a friend that way. Would you criticize a friend for not creating a perfect painting on their first try? Of course not. So, be as kind to yourself as you would be to them.
Getting Started is Half the Battle
For many perfectionists, the hardest part of any project is getting started. You might feel like you need the best supplies, the perfect lighting, or the ideal working conditions before you can begin. But the perfect time never comes. There’s always “just one more thing” to do before you start.
Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, start simple. If you have watercolor paints and paper, you already have everything you need. Prepare your supplies, decide on a tutorial or technique to practice, and just get started.
If you’re feeling stuck on what to paint, I’ve got a video to help you out, which I’ll link in the description.
Crossing the Finish Line
There’s no such thing as a perfect painting, but there is such a thing as a finished piece. As an artist, it’s up to you to decide when your work is done. But perfectionism can make that decision difficult. It can cause you to get bogged down in unnecessary details, preventing you from finishing your projects.
If you struggle to finish your paintings, try setting a timer. When the timer goes off, declare the painting finished and move on to the next one. This will help you work more quickly and with a looser style, combating the urge to procrastinate and allowing you to see your progress on the page.
Enjoy the Process
Many of my students feel intimidated when they look at the final result of a project they want to try. It might take them a while to gather the courage to start, and when they do, they might want to give up during the ugly stages. But those ugly stages are part of the process. If you keep going, you’ll see that they were necessary to the overall result, and you’ll be proud of yourself for not giving up.
To truly enjoy watercolor painting, you have to start enjoying the process, imperfections and all. The next time perfectionism starts throwing sand at your creative flow, remind yourself of why you started painting in the first place. Whether it’s to relax, make time for yourself, or bring more joy into your life, those are the goals you should focus on.
There’s a quote by David Bayles that says: “The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece.” So, let go of those high expectations, embrace the learning process, and get your brushes out to start creating.
I hope this post has helped you understand the root cause of your creative blocks and inspired you to enjoy the process of painting. If you’re feeling inspired right now, act on that feeling before perfectionism or procrastination has a chance to kick in.
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