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Writer's pictureEfuwa Tomety

Dealing with Perfectionism | ZARA Metallic dress

Updated: Apr 8, 2022


If you are reading this, then we have something in common. You probably worked hard to achieve or create something and then you decided not to share this great thing with the world because you believe it is not good enough yet, OR you don't attempt anything at all because you are scared to fail i.e not achieve perfection.


Let me first share with you something I read by Ira Glass that helps me get past this obsession. Here it goes:


“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

― Ira Glass


So if you are sitting on something, a qualification, an idea, a project, a piece of art, whatever it may be, and you are waiting to be perfect before you share or begin the journey, you need to realise that the only way you can get anywhere close to the perfect picture is by going through a volume of work aka. practice.

Do this and then do the exercise of going down memory lane after about a year, and you will see how much better your idea or work has become just because you didn’t sit on it.


Dress & Shoes: Zara

Hair: Mane Regalia

Jewellery: Swarovski

Eyes & Lips: Fenty Beauty

Ira Glass excerpt : goodreads.com

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1 Comment


Evanson Tomety
Evanson Tomety
Feb 09, 2021

Great insight on what one goes through one’s mind when trying to make a difference in this world. We just have to be persistent and consistent. And I love the pictures, stunning 😍.

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