I've come to believe that most creative individuals are perfectionists by nature. We seek out this perfection in our own works as well as in the works of others because we are passionate about our craft. This passion instills in us a sense of purity that constantly challenges us to improve and perfect our own skills and to draw our inspiration from the best artists we can find. It's also a nagging voice in our ear telling us we're not good enough.

To desire perfection in our art is a good thing--until it hinders us from creating in the first place. Creation is raw effort, unrefined and often dirty work, which is in direct conflict with our desire to produce something pure and perfect. It can make us feel like our talents are lacking and even that we suck, but we must allow ourselves to experience this feeling. If we yield to it, we will never fulfill our calling as artists. We must learn to set aside our compulsion for perfection while we create and only bring it out after we have something to refine.

It's hard, but we will eventually come to realize that we don't suck as much as we think we do and that we're actually a little brilliant.