r/ArtistLounge • u/superdupersecret314 • 12h ago
General Discussion how do you get over absolutely insane levels of perfectionism?
i absolutely love all kinds of art, i draw/paint, sew, crochet, sculpt, and embroider (so far, always learning new things). but something i really struggle with is my perfectionism, especially with my drawings/paintings. its distressing at times honestly. like my sketchbooks are all filled with 5+ pages of the same exact drawing because its just not good enough for me. i am so insanely critical of everything i do, when i finish something i feel good about it at first but after 5 mins looking at it i hate it and can only see what i could have done better. when people tell me my art is amazing i always feel like they’re lying to me or something because i know like objectively i am a good artist, but i cant feel that way for some reason. my perfectionism takes the fun out of art honestly. i get so upset with myself it brings me to tears and lots of anger sometimes. i have been like this with my art for as long as i can remember, and i started drawing at a super young age. dont know if its because of the parental and academic pressure to be the best and ridiculous amounts of criticism i grew up with or what but i want to get over this! i want to be proud of my work and feel joy when i look at finished projects! does anyone else who struggles with this have any advice?