Finished, Not Perfect.
- May 9
- 4 min read
I have a problem. I am a recovering perfectionist. I am great at starting projects, but I rarely finish them. I say "I'm the ideas guy!" I joke that buying craft supplies for a project and actually finishing the project are two very different hobbies. I am very, very good at the former, the latter is an opportunity for growth. Those, however are just a defence mechanism to laugh off the crushing weight of perfectionism coupled with anxiety. Something goes "wrong," something winds up not the way I "saw" it in my head and I freeze. Every decision feels like life or death. I can't pick which direction to turn so I don't pick. I tuck the project away and bask in the comfort of "out of sight out of mind. Or in many cases: lying out, and ignored.
This video is of a project many years in the making. I had originally hoped to be able to do it with multiple kiddos. It was on my Pinterest board for years (I can no longer find the original post, so if you are the original Mama that posted this idea or you know who it was I would love to give credit where it is due). I had also picked up the round canvas at the Dollarama a while ago just because in my mind sometimes "If you buy it, the craft will come." My little man is certainly not getting any smaller and I decided, since it is just he and I our handprints would make a great sun, and I figured time was of the essence if I wanted to get this done while his hands are still smaller than mine!
I am counting this one as a win, It sat unfinished for a meagre two week period until I finished it up. Part of the battle to finish was due to convincing my tiny human that the paint wasn't going to hurt him and that we could wash his hand as soon as we were finished, (textures, IYKYK). In the end I caught him on a day that he was game and he cooperated! The timing happened to be just before his time with his dad, so I was fortunate to have the time to finish it as soon as the paint was cured. To add to my sense of accomplishment I actually remembered to film a lot (not all) of the process so I could make content! Woohooo!
This week has been great for starting and finishing small projects.
Exhibit A:
Though this project was begun on May the 4th (be with you) it was not finished that day, but it was finished in the same week!! Success!!
Exhibit B:
I am starting a Sisterhood of the Travelling Journal with some good friends of mine just to see what comes of it. This week I got the title page done.
Exhibit C:
I couldn't find the right notebook to take notes for my therapy sessions, so I made one! I have been using a printable from Imperfectinspiration.com for a couple of years now, and I love it. However, I have just organized a Traveller's style notebook that I bought years ago for therapy, (buying journals and filling them....again, two different hobbies). I have a mindfulness journal, an undated planner to keep track of triggers and mood, and I wanted one more that I could use for taking notes in session. I was loathe to give up my favourite printable so I thought "I wonder If I could print it to fit in the existing journal?" Turns out I could!
So I printed the pages, folded the pages and bound the pages with a piece of thick cardstock as a cover. But I couldn't just leave the cover plain! Oh no, no, no, no! so out came scrapbook paper from my stash and stickers from my stash too. I am very pleased that the fabulous insanity on the cover directly mirrors the fabulous crazy that will be recorded on the inside, (I joke because I'm diagnosed and medicated and I can).
What have I learned?
1) My brain has been very happy this week. I think the success of one finished project fed into the starting and finishing of another.
2) The projects this week were very low stakes. I could just have fun. If I hated it when I was done I could start over. In the process I came to a stop a few times because it wasn't what I had in mind, but I told myself to just move forward anyway because if I hated it at the end I could just chuck it and start over. Low. Stakes.
I came to the conclusion that I am going to try with my bigger projects that are (in my mind) higher stakes, either due to cost of materials, or pressure on myself to "get it right" because it's a gift, or a mending project that belongs to someone else, or something I can imagine myself putting up for sale. In the end, I am creating, primarily, to have fun. To find joy in simply creating. To remember that I can always pivot if its not going exactly to plan. It is and always has been a coping mechanism to find myself amid the craziness of life.
"Finished, not Perfect" is my benchmark. Which is all very well and good to say, lets see if I can put it into practice! Scratch that tag along while I do put that into practice!
And just because accountability is a thing..... I can see at least five unfinished projects from where I'm sitting. More to come on those later.
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