Brazilian Artist Defines Perfection (So You Can Attain It!)

Let your worries be gone! If there’s one thing that I observe truly ails my fellow humans, it’s this relationship with perfection. Personally, I don’t know what that is. I’ve never seen it. And, I don’t get what all the fuss is about. Nonetheless, the stark battle between our reality and perfection seems to be the source of much heartache, so I’d like to offer a perspective that could liberate you of your battles. 

I interviewed my good friend and photographer, Vava Ribeiro, for the Hold the Standard Podcast. In our conversation, I referenced a theme that I experience anytime I make art. I told him that I love making something whether it’s a drawing or a painting or whatever, but I never knew how to finish them. I always hated them by the time I was done. He said something I’ll never forget. 

“They say the only ‘perfect’ work is the stuff you’re still working on,” he said. “Once you say it’s done, the imperfections become set in stone for judgment.”

That resonated deeply and true to me! What powerful insight to say that a work in progress is the only perfect work. It’s in the moment, ever changing, and exactly as it ought to be in time. 

If you struggle with this idea of perfection, maybe apply this to yourself. The only chance you have at perfection is if you’re still a work in progress. Conversely, the only way to not be perfect is to stop trying. 

Thank goodness, eh?