Perfection vs. good enough.
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0:00 The Spirited Man Patreon
0:16 Intro
0:50 Messages from my patrons
1:37 Golden Post-it Note: Perfectionism
3:07 Standard of excellence vs. good enough
5:58 What makes me a good enough artist
6:59 An ode to Wes Anderson
7:59 The reward of the good enough artist
9:57 The quality spectrum
10:15 Gift from a patron
11:47 The two routes to excellence
13:44 Aristotle's clue to perfection
15:09 Join The Spirited Man Patreon
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17 thoughts on “Is perfectionism a form of cowardice?”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @ethosphane says:

    Excellent and perfect. A video that everyone should watch. Thank you, Van.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @mico5003 says:

    “I'll tell you what he said! He asked me to forcibly insert the lifeline exercise card into my anus”. As it goes to quality spectrum of yours. Let me Donnie your analogy of Wes Anderson. For you to understand magnitude of Wes Anderson pictures, your analogy has to be used. Imagine Stevie Ray Vaughan guitarist without Jimi Hendrix. Is Stevie good enough, excellence, or a perfection in quality spectrum? I would say no, that would degrade another man work. Since you measure fine art. Andrei Tarkovsky never received an Oscar. You know why? Because of your quality spectrum. You know what I mean?

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @hayden_hanna21 says:

    This is great

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @ErikaBarkerNYC says:

    I really needed to see this video.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @KatriRautavirta says:

    Is this title a form of a substance-less CLICKBATE?

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @bobbid65 says:

    Excellent points. I wish more of us humans appreciated the concept of "enough". However, I'm hoping that future makers of the space Challenger become perfectionists when tightening bolts. I'm hoping my surgeon's "good enough" is, in fact, good enough to keep me going. I ditched the concept of "perfection" when I learned that it is subjective and depends on who you ask. 😢

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @tristanhall5971 says:

    Your excellence is your consistency.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @JakeAmmann says:

    As someone who makes stuff I've been trying to wrap my mind around this trifecta from the beginning. This exactly what I thought and its so nice to hear to from someone I respect.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @xXSwaghetti.YoloneseXx-uf2bb says:

    "I never read the comments on my videos"
    That actually explains so much.

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @Ashwanithapa says:

    Excellent video <3

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @attik93 says:

    It seems that as we age, perfectionism, even the disruptive kind, becomes more ingrained. In our late teens and twenties, there's less concern about others' opinions. But as we grow older, there's a tendency to care more about what we create and how it's perceived. This can sometimes hinder creation, as we struggle to bypass our own critical filters. Personally, I wish I could disregard these concerns and just create whatever the fuck I want.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @SplinterTimber says:

    "Perfectionism is procrastination masquerading as quality control" – Steven Barnes

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @dave998899 says:

    I'm not sure where this quote came from but I think I heard it from Adam Savage — "PERFECT is the ENEMY of DONE" Since I heard this, I have had a sticky note with it on my monitor. Before I followed this philosophy… I was the arrogant coward that this episode is about. Following this philosophy has allowed me to embrace the satisfaction of completion instead of so called perfection. A job done perfectly but never completed is worse, to me, than not doing it at all. Thank you for articulating this about perfectionism to keep the pursuit in perspective.

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @tvpierce1 says:

    Excellent video. The one foundational point I take issue with is the notion that the consumer/viewer is the ultimate judge of the quality of a piece. Creativity for the sake of consumption is commerce. Creativity for the sake of creativity is ART! IMHO, the artist/creator is the sole arbiter of what is good, good enough, excellent, or perfect.
    Or so it seems to me.

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @blakeagalloway7007 says:

    Excellent Advice. Good enough video

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @burgesssam says:

    vintage spirited man

  17. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars @chilidog73 says:

    Excellent video. Always entertaining. Always informative. Always art.

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