Let me share a cool story from the book “Art & Fear“ that really hits home about how we sometimes get in our own way trying to be perfect.
Picture this: A ceramics teacher splits their class in two. One half gets graded purely on how many pots they make – more pounds equals better grades. The other half only needs to make one perfect pot for an A.
Here’s the kicker: when grading time came around, guess who made the best pots? The quantity group! While they were busy making pot after pot, learning from each mistake, the quality group got stuck in their heads thinking about making the perfect pot. They ended up with almost nothing to show except some unused clay and big ideas.
This really speaks to me as someone who helps businesses with their branding. I see clients get paralyzed trying to create the perfect logo, the perfect tagline, or the perfect product launch. But here’s the truth – doing something, even if it’s not perfect, beats doing nothing every time.
Want to get better at social media? Post more often. Want to improve your writing? Write more articles. Want to nail your presentation skills? Give more presentations. It’s really that simple.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying you should rush out shitty work. But there’s real value in just showing up and doing the work, even when you’re not feeling particularly inspired. Actually, especially when you’re not feeling inspired.
Think about it this way: If you wait around for everything to be perfect, you might never get started. But if you jump in and start creating, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t. Those lessons are pure gold.
So next time you’re stuck trying to make something perfect, remember the ceramics class. Sometimes the best way to achieve quality is to focus on quantity first. Just start creating – you might surprise yourself with what you can accomplish when you get out of your own way.
Remember: Perfect is the enemy of done. And done is what gets results.
