Finished is Better Than Perfect — Being creative is like giving birth to the unknown. It can be terrifying, and yet, a voice within tells us to let it out. Fear, doubt and more fear, can get in the way. Sometimes we can’t do it alone. We need a midwife. That midwife may be another person, a muse, or in my case, it tends to be a thought. A phrase. A quote. A few words that completely change how I’m feeling. Those words move me forward. You know the saying “We create what we need”? On the cusp of a big exciting project (coming later this year!) I found myself blocked by fear. This can happen. I don’t want to let anyone down. Sometimes that fear can cripple me, but I want to create! I’ve turned to daily meditation, specifically the CALM app, to get perspective.
One day, I was listening to a daily meditation, about a student and a teacher. The student was struggling with their meditation practise. The teacher said “This won’t last”. In their next meeting, the student said their practise was flowing easily, and the teacher said “This won’t last.” These words triggered a realization in me. I’d spent my life chasing an abstract state of permanent joy or success. I thought that if I achieved x, y or z I’d arrive somewhere else better, that I’d be someone else better. In that moment, I thought about all the artists I admire who call their on-going art, a work in progress. I realized that by chasing an imaginary state of being, that I was missing the transcendent state of releasing myself from perfectionism. There is no such thing as perfect. We are already there. In this moment.
The words “Work in Progress” or WIP trigger a deep reminder, to liberate myself from the expectations of perfectionism, and remember that any feelings of fear, joy, ecstasy, sadness or boredom will pass. Just do the thing. Make the thing. Because that’s how you get to the next thing. And the next. Something finished, is better than something perfect.
Giving birth to creativity means letting go. I hope these rings and necklaces help remind you every day, to do the thing, and let go.
With love,
Lynda
The WIP ring and necklace are available in sterling silver and gold vermeil.