Letting Go of Perfection

The trouble with perfection is that it keeps moving.

If you've been here for a little while, you probably know that I've been building Wildflower Fox Crafts piece by piece. Much like hand embroidery, it's been a slow process. However, I’ve come to realize that the idea of perfection is a large part of what is slowing me down.

Growing up, I often heard that “nobody is perfect,” yet it seemed everyone was hiding their imperfections, particularly women. As I was getting started with my small business, the advice I received was that, to gain trust, I needed flawless photos and to showcase only the brightest moments of my work. There was a belief that anything less than polished and professional would deter potential customers.

Although I admire perfectionists, I am simply not that person, and I find striving for the ideal to be exhausting. I’m more like Bob Ross in my approach, I stitch simply for the joy of it, and I’ve come to see imperfections as an essential part of my creative process. However, the thought of letting others see those imperfections still causes me a great deal of anxiety.

Take, for instance, my shooting star design. I sketched that pattern years ago. It’s a simple design, and there is no wrong way to stitch it. Still, each time I tried to refine it for the Hand Embroidery Projects section, I found myself paralyzed by the fear of disappointing others.

It was meant to be a free pattern, but I still wrestled with thoughts like, “It has to be perfect, or nobody will like it.” I restarted the design multiple times, allowing it to sit in the WIP (work in progress) box as I fixated on how to make it just right. Instead of just sharing the pattern and allowing others to enjoy it, I let that design file sit on my computer, waiting for the moment of perfection.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident for me. I’ve fallen into this trap countless times. I’ve had blog posts linger unfinished because I was searching for that perfect ending. Ideas have remained tucked away because they didn’t match my exact vision. Tutorials sat unpublished, often overanalyzed because I pondered whether I should have chosen a different color palette or fretted over a few uneven stitches.

Meanwhile, life continues to move forward, and I find myself missing out. Not just on sharing my work, but on connecting with those who might benefit from an imperfect embroidery piece. I miss opportunities to learn through experimenting and the joy of sharing something before I overthink it.

The worst part is that I often have my "a-ha" moment just as I'm finishing up a project. It's that moment when I think, "Why didn't I think of that before?" and I usually feel the urge to start the project over. But there is a silver lining, these late "a-ha" moments are often what inspire me to embrace new ideas and make the next project even better. Each time feels like a wonderful opportunity for growth!

The truth about creativity is that it shouldn't be bound by perfection. It should be a vibrant expression of our journey. This means there will be imperfect photographs, projects that take longer than expected, and blog posts that feel simpler than intended.

And you know what? That’s absolutely okay! If embracing the imperfections doesn’t resonate with you, that’s perfectly fine, too.

Here’s a gentle reminder for both of us today: Let’s not wait for things to be
perfect. Don’t hold back until you have everything figured out. Embrace the
beautiful mess of creativity.

Tomorrow, I will be posting a bunch of free patterns that I have been sitting on.