Artrepreneur Success Rule #2/10

Rule #2: Done is Better Than Perfect

Perfection is the arch nemesis of every productive artist. This rule applies to both art and running a creative business. I learned this the hard way after years of observing my own habits.

Let’s talk about how this rule applies to our art, which is how I first learned it. For years, I didn’t want to create because I was scared of making bad art. I was embarrassed by my lack of skill compared to other artists online. After realizing I’m never going to make anything again if I didn’t get over my fear, I just got started. I learned to embrace imperfect art. I decided to make “something,” every day and that would be good enough. I focused on the quantity of the art versus the quality. This mindset is the only thing that got me out of my 10 year art slump. It’s also the only reason I’m able to make art full-time today.

I always say you need to make a lot of bad art in order to start making good art. This is because it takes a while for your skill level to catch up with your aspirations. We all hold beautiful images in our heads of what we want to create, but translating those images to paper takes practice. As a more seasoned artist, I still have to remind myself of this rule. The desire to create perfect work will always be there. And that’s actually a good thing because it’s what motivates us to improve. However, take this desire too seriously and it will smother your creativity and stop you from making art all together.

And who wants to look at perfect art anyways? Imperfections are what I love most in other artists’ work, so why not embrace them in my own? Let’s just focus on the act of making things and forget about how the work is received.

Another facet of this rule pertains to we look at old work. I’ve seen so many artists delete their social media feeds because they don’t like their old work. Or they clear their Etsy shops of any prints they don’t like, even if the work is selling. It can be tempting to focus more on your image as an artist than the work itself, constantly wanting to start over. Every time you delete old work, however, you’re taking five steps back. I can’t stress enough how important it is to leave everything you’ve created out there. For reasons you don’t understand, some people may connect more with your old work. I have old art prints in my shop I don’t like anymore, but that still sell really well. I have old articles on my blog I’m tempted to take down. However, those articles still get a lot of hits, or if they don’t they may get a lot in the future. Every piece of content you’ve ever made deserves to be searchable online. Leaving old work up sets a good example for less experienced artists. It shows them that every step of the journey is important. And don’t throw any of your art away! You or someone else may want it one day.

Now let’s talk about how this rule applies to running a creative business. This took me longer to learn. When I first started making art again, I was mostly focused on making art, which is the best place for any beginner artist to start by the way. At some point, I realized I could potentially make money from my art. But where to begin? Well, I spent weeks building out the perfectly branded Etsy shop. Then I listed one print - a map of Columbus, Ohio. I wouldn’t end up making substantial income from this shop until 5 years later, so why did I spend so much time on the branding? By the time my shop was successful, I’d already rebranded numerous times. I would have been better off spending the time listing a bunch of prints. I also remember wasting so much time on a website that no one was visiting. I can list a million other ventures where I spent time on all the wrong things.

I eventually realized that this was a stall tactic. And now I notice so many other artists doing the same thing. It was easier to work on 20 iterations of my website than to make a bunch of art. The art will always feel the most difficult, but it’s the most important. So now I try to remember the art always comes first.

Now, when I’m launching a new business venture, good enough is good enough. I’ve realized it’s better to just launch, and then spend time reworking after the venture has legs. This is why I love to test ideas before going all in on something. Even though I’m not a big social media fan, this is where it can be useful. You can ask your audience what they’re interested in. Or, if you’re launching a new shop, just get some work up quickly and see what happens. You don’t need all the best camera equipment to launch a new course. Just get it done.

Even as I’m writing this article, my newborn is laying next to me fussing. I know my time to work on this post is up. While I could spend hours tweaking the wording, I feel it’s good enough and gets my point across. As I hit the publish button, I’m focused on the fact that I got this out there, not on the fact that it’s not perfect. And that is the secret to being a productive artist. Every artist that seems to be cranking out tons of content knows this secret.

So are there any big projects you’ve been delaying because you’re scared they won’t be perfect? Or do you want to make a new kind but lack the courage? Use this article as your permission slip to just do the work. It’s amazing how much we can accomplish when we renounce perfectionism.

Stay tuned for rule #3!