DRAWING & PERFECTIONISM

Just handed in a new book. Guess how many pages? All together, about 485 for this one, which will end up being designed into a standard page count. I worked so intensely...  7 days a week, long hours, for months, to get it just right. In fact, I had it all drawn, and then -- a sudden flash of inspiration and an improved approach flew into my mind -- so I decided to draw it all over again! I kept about 20 pages of the original book, but 465 pages of it are brand spanking new!

I'm not a perfectionist. A perfectionist is someone who never completes anything because he or she can't stand to do anything that isn't perfect - and nothing ever is. This is different. I finish lots of stuff and send it out into the world.

I live in a sort of a continuous creative flow. And when an idea pops into my brain, and gets me excited, I cannot - I simply cannot - ignore it. If I give my best effort, I have no regrets later. Plus, there are my readers. Yeah, you guys. I owe you something; that's how I figure it. If you're going to invest the time to read my books, I want the material to meet - and surpass - your expectations. That's no guarantee, of course, that everything I do will turn out as I envisioned it. But I've acquired a pretty good track record over my career; and I believe this is part of the reason.

So, my friends, if you're battling perfectionism, don't worry! It's not the bad character defect that everyone makes it out to be. Go ahead, be a perfectionist -- BUT -- finish your project, and submit it. What if you get rejected? Every successful writer and artist has been rejected numerous times. If it happens to you before you get an acceptance, then allow yourself to feel bad for a few moments. You're human. Then move onto the next project. But always answer the phone, even when you're feeling bad. You just might find that it's an interested editor on the other line, pouring over your submission.


Good luck in all of your creative endeavors!

Your Colleague in  Art,

Chris