Dee Friesen | Arts + Life Editor
There are a number of aspects that make college life difficult. For a perfectionist it can be a little bit more frustrating. For all you perfectionists out there, let me assure you, you are not alone. There are many of us that struggle with perfectionism. Writing this beginning paragraph will probably take me at least an hour. Why? Because I know peers will be reading. Like-minded individuals will be agreeing (or disagreeing) with what I have to say and I cannot let them down. I will have made about 5 different typos by now that I will have to go fix right at this instant.
One second…
Okay. Fixed.
I will probably read that first paragraph another 2-5 times yet and make numerous changes and then realize what I had first time was probably the best one. And then I will be disappointed in myself because of my lack of confidence to write a single paragraph. Dee, you’re in college. You can write a paragraph in under an hour. But can I really?
It’s a constant struggle, being a perfectionist. Everything must be perfect. Everything. Not because we think we’re better than anyone or because we want the attention. But because it bothers us when things are out of place. There’s nothing wrong with creating good quality work, especially when it comes to college. But be careful. Don’t push yourself too hard. The older I get, the more I’m beginning to realize that it’s okay to fail sometimes. Healthy, even. How will we learn if we do not fail and try again?
I was able to chat with a friend who considered herself a perfectionist. Monica Figueroa was a perfectionist mostly when it came to her artwork. “It kind of hurt to fail my expectations of what I wanted for myself but once that happened, I thought that wasn’t that bad,” said Figueroa. “It [perfectionism] can really hold you back as an artist.”
During her senior year in high school, she began to realize how much pressure she actually put on herself. She experienced what in her eyes was a failure and it really got to her. For an art project in high school, she created a piece that she believed was one of her best so far. Her teacher shared with her that she was unsure about this work Figueroa created. That night when Figueroa got home, she ripped up her piece. She went to school the next day and her teacher asked where it was and Figueroa shared what happened to which her teacher responded, “But it was really good!” After hearing that, she ended up putting her torn up piece back together again and it became her personal art style.
“I don’t want to try to be perfect. I just want to not be afraid of trying something that I’m not going to be perfect at and be okay with it,” said Figueroa. “So, in an art project, if I’m not happy with something, instead of sticking to my idea of what it should be, I try to just let it be and go with it.”
Changing prospective and trying not to be a perfectionist can be hard! Like I expressed in the beginning of this article, it’s not a bad thing to strive for good work, especially in college. However, it can lead to a lot of frustration if you push yourself too hard. Figueroa shared how she’s begun to shift her focus away from constant perfectionism.
“Everybody has different ideas of perfect. We all expect different things from ourselves and our work,” said Figueroa. “I think we’ve just got to challenge ourselves to have a healthy balance.”
It’s okay to be imperfect. We’re human; it’s in our nature. The wonderful thing is, we can take the ripped up pieces of our imperfections, piece them back together, and make something even more beautiful.
Graphic by Justice Gage
Photo by Dee Friesen
