Does perfectionism make you a better artist?
How to manage toxic perfectionism and your ‘inner critic’ in the creative process
3 min read
The days are getting warmer, and New York City is once again buzzing with arts and culture. After two years, artists are finally getting more opportunities to showcase their work. Yet many seek therapy at places like Downtown Somatic Therapy when patterns of perfectionism impinge on their creative process and leave them feeling depleted, unworthy and insecure.
What’s the relationship between creativity and perfectionism? There is an ongoing debate on the “usefulness” of perfection. Some experts believe that striving for excellence propels the creative process, while others believe that it’s the very ingredient that blocks it. For psychotherapist Melanie Berkowitz, at Downtown Somatic Therapy, the key is getting clear on whether someone’s drive for excellence is based on a drive to create versus a drive to be perfect.
“Making art involves the capacity to tolerate an uncertain process of creating something from nothing – whether that be a poem, a song, or a screenplay,” Melanie says. “In its purest form, art is a process of self-expression, and communicating our innermost feelings can bring up a lot of vulnerability and anxiety!” Engaging in somatic therapy to acquaint yourself with the physical sensations and emotions associated with uncertainty and anxiety can make space for feeling more empowered.
When our anxieties around self-expression are not properly regulated, it can feel too overwhelming to tolerate the process. That is usually when the more destructive forms of perfectionism emerge: procrastination, obsessive fear of failure, self-doubt, shame, chronic validation-seeking, never taking in the pride or joy of your artistic accomplishments, or even addictions.
“The inner critic can actually be the body’s attempt to protect itself from more vulnerable feelings like longing or excitement or openness–the emotional ingredients to creativity and flow states.”
One particularly pervasive way that perfectionism shows up is through the “inner critic.” The inner critic is that voice inside telling you things like: “you have nothing to offer the world with your dumb art” or “who do you think you are for trying to write that poem?“
Melanie says that the inner critic can actually be the body’s attempt to protect itself from more vulnerable feelings like longing or excitement or openness–the emotional ingredients to creativity and flow states.
When a client’s inner critic is loud, Melanie encourages them to tune into themselves and identify the deeper emotion behind the negative self-talk. Some clients fear that without their inner critic playing the role of drill sergeant, they might freefall into a sea of laziness.
For others, it can be easier to tell themselves that they have nothing to offer with their art than to express the vulnerability underneath: “this art matters to me. I want my art to express these experiences and emotions in a way that connects to others, and I’m not sure how it’s going to be received.” Acknowledging the anxiety around self-expression is the first step to successfully managing it.
If you are a New Yorker struggling to manage your anxiety and perfectionism around the creative process, feel free to connect with one of our therapists at Downtown Somatic Therapy.