Mark McGuinness from Lateral Action wrote an article today that I really connected with. It’s about how you don’t need to be a creative genius to achieve success, but for me, it was about perfectionism. Did you know that Michelangelo destroyed much of his work because it didn’t measure up to his lofty expectations? Wow.

Now I don’t consider myself a Michelangelo, but I do relate to the fact that creative professionals are really hard on themselves. In a way, this is good, because that means our work is constantly evolving and getting better. In another way, it can cause a real creative Ice Age.

One of my “things” is that I look at design SO much. I absolutely immerse myself in all sorts of design. And not just good design, either. I am always looking for ways to improve upon whatever visual design I see.

The downside to this is that I can spot a trend a mile away. And a lot of them repulse me. Not because they’re bad trends, but because I see them over and over and over again. Sometimes they seep into my work, sometimes not. But when I purposefully try to keep them out, my brain starts stuttering. I subconsciously won’t even let an idea develop if I can’t keep out overdone design trends.

Obviously, I have to check my inner editor at the door when brainstorming, or I’ll never get anything done. Perfectionism and creativity go together like SNL and funniness these days. (What is UP with that show? I appreciated the political skits, but man. The rest is sadly…pretty sad.)