Perfectionist or too critical?
This is a tough call for many people who work in creative fields: walking the thin line between positive perfectionism and overboard self criticism. As a writer, I look at my work in a far more critical light than anyone else does. (This blog is the one exception. I pretty much just write what comes to mind without editing much at all.)
I recently wrote about a script that moved up in a national competition. The interesting sidebar to this news is that the night before I received the announcement, I had reread my script and thought it was really dumb. In fact, I almost deleted it entirely! After receiving the news, I read it again and decided it wasn’t so bad.
So what does that say about me? Well, I’m overly critical of my own work. I always have been! I never like what I write nearly as much as other people do. In some ways this is helpful because it encourages me to work harder and to be more creative. But sometimes it can be a hindrance, especially the times when I toss a novel I’m writing aside because it’s not meeting my own standards.
So how about you? Are you more critical of your own work than other people are? If so, how do you approach this in your day-to-day job?
July 25, 2008 at 5:14 am
I’ve never re-read a piece I’ve written without wanting to fix something. That goes for short stories and poems, essays in school, and the articles I write now as a computer journalist.
The way I figure, this over-perfection is the reason why editors invented dead lines.
Nothing else would make me stop polishing and submit stories.
July 25, 2008 at 5:31 am
I think being overly critical of ones own creations is one of the definitions of “writer” or artist. Great post!
I remember singer Baby Face saying that it’s hard for him to listen to his own music after it’s released, because all he hears are (to him) what could’ve been added and what could have been better.
It’s the same way for me, as a writer. I’m resigned to the fact that I’ll never be able to read my own writing the way other people read it.
Em
July 25, 2008 at 7:31 am
Oh definitely. I’ve reached a point where I rather enjoy making fun of my shortcomings. It amuses me, even, to pound on my failings.
Not sure it’s healthy or not, but it tends not to cripple me any longer. I think I celebrate them: if I know they’re there, then I can work on fixing them. How scary would it be to not know one’s shortcomings?
July 25, 2008 at 8:03 am
Am I more critical of myself & my work than of other people? Absolutely! I don’t like giving work any less than 100% of my effort and I’m displeased if I’ve felt I could’ve done more (which come to think of it, I guess we always end up feeling like we could’ve done more). Ultimately I know I’ve done a fine job (I’m often told so). If I wasn’t so critical my performance would be weaker. So do I think it’s ok to be overly-critical? I think so…yea…a little…
July 25, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I am uber-critical of my work so I completely understand you. On a similar theme and certainly more relevant to me as a noob to writing, I recently watched an interesting YouTube video (I need to go find it and when I do , I will post it on my blog!) which basically talks about the gap between the work you enjoy as a discerning reader/viewer with excellent taste and the work you are able to produce as a newbie. The highly refined skills of criticism which you are used to being applied to the greatest work mean that you know something great when you read / see it which can really hinder you when you first start out and it can take years before your work starts to live up to your high standards (if ever!).
July 25, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Oops logged in as my old self – so please feel free to edit my comment to my new details – or not (or delete this!) … I am going now!!!
July 25, 2008 at 9:08 pm
It’s nice to know that I’m not alone!
@Bruce – I agree. Sometimes a deadline is the only thing that gets me to “just let go” of the piece!
@Lefty – Thanks for sharing about Baby Face. It does sound like a requirement for our field, doesn’t it? Something that’s a part of our makeup.
@Spy – You enjoy making fun of your writing? LOL. I can’t wait to reach that point!
@Ribeezie – You’re right. Being overly critical does result in a stronger product. As long as I’m not so critical that I quit the project entirely!
@Kate – VERY interesting. I’ll have to check your blog for the link!
July 25, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Let’s just say I read my writing with a critical eye. I don’t think I’m overly critical, but I won’t post until I am absolutely happy with it. My dad, on the other hand drives us all nuts. He is an incredible artist. He goes off to openings of his artsy friends. He comes home muttering about how his watercolours are as good or better. Out they all come and he starts to frame them. 24 hours later, they are all back in boxes. The up note on this is that we will inherit them all. My brothers and I will pick what we like, and then we will shamelessly frame and sell the rest *grin*
July 26, 2008 at 2:31 am
As an editor, I find it extremely difficult not to heavily scrutinize my writing, specifically my fiction. It’s so hard to just let myself write. Instead, I edit every sentence as I go, and then, often discouraged because of how tedious and difficult it is to write that way, I don’t finish. Easier to edit other people’s work!
I’ve been reading a lot about how to write, about letting myself go, getting into that creative space and out of that self-critical editor space, to just let everything come out without inhibition. It’s very tough getting back into something I love after so much time away from it (specifically fiction writing).
One of the tricks, I suppose, is to do what one writer said: “Let THEM decide. You just DO.”
July 27, 2008 at 1:28 am
Its good to be a perfectionist in all artistic fields. The best critic you have is yourself… and you know what you want your image to represent. Granted some of your better work may slip through its a growing process. If you arent critical of yourself then you wont put out what you consider your best..
July 30, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Panther – LOL! Wow! Your dad really is a bit too hard on himself!
Steph – Good advice. It’s hard to turn off the “inner editor” and just write, but that’s the way to do it.
Kraze – Great point and you’re absolutely right. I guess it’s better to be too critical than not critical enough!
August 31, 2008 at 11:38 pm
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