Perfectionism is the Enemy of Creativity: Why We Need to Play to Make

“Nothing will stop you being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake”                        - John Cleese

Too many of my own ideas have died prematurely because I was too concerned with the outcome – and the fear it may not be the one I want – to even allow the creative process to start.

If you've ever stared at a blank page, canvas, screen, or at that unfinished project collecting dust in the corner, and felt paralyzed by the fear of making something “bad”, you’re not alone. I’m with you. And so are countless others. That’s perfectionism taking control – posing as criticality or high standards, but really just fear and doubt disguised, like raccoons in a trench coat. 

It’s an entirely common experience, and unfortunately, one of the most reliable ways to kill creativity before it even starts.

Perfectionism Isn’t Precision – It’s Paralysis

Perfectionism often masquerades as a virtue. It sounds like discipline and looks like care. But in creative work, perfectionism rarely results in better output – it usually just prevents output altogether. Creativity thrives on experimentation, messiness, and yes, even failure. Perfectionism demands certainty, but creativity lives in uncertainty.

Uncertainty, however, can be uncomfortable and it is hard to embrace without inviting doubt too. The two are such close pals. And they pose a multitude of challenges for creators of all kinds. As an artist with aphantasia, I can’t mentally visualize the piece ahead of me, I can only describe to myself what I want to do and what I hope it will achieve. As a result, it’s become annoyingly common that I get stuck a quarter of the way into a new piece, stalled by doubt. I struggle to be okay with the uncertainty of what I cannot visualize. 

But the more I obsess over getting something "right", the more I’m missing out on the essential process of discovery. And worse, I start to equate my creative work with my own self-worth. If what I make isn’t perfect, I am not enough. It’s a trap that leads to hesitation, overthinking, and eventually burnout. 

Creativity Requires a State of Play

The antidote? Play.

Play isn’t just for kids – it’s a state of mind where curiosity and experimentation take the lead and outcomes don’t have to be justified. When we play, we’re not trying to prove anything. We’re exploring. We’re trying things just to see what happens. We allow ourselves to follow weird ideas, make mistakes, and appreciate what doesn’t work.

This is exactly the mindset where real creativity happens.

The more refined my craft becomes, the more challenging it is to separate myself from outcomes and enter that state of play. It has to be done with great intention. Every person needs to find their own technique for practicing this intentional separation from doubt and perfectionism. For myself, I’ve made a deliberate space free of others’ views and opinions, and free of my own judgement too. I call it my “mess canvas” that I build onto with expressive brush strokes, gestures, and tests of new tools or techniques. Sometimes I just throw paint at it to release tension. Sometimes I dig my hands into thick paint and spread it across the canvas for a sensory experience. I use it one way or another whenever I feel stuck or doubtful. It has many, many layers. The mess canvas achieves two things: tension is released through actions + play is reignited when I find a combination of layers, or a texture, or a brush technique that excites me. I just have to experiment with that feature around one of my portraits… and then I’m painting again.

Think about the last time you were “in the zone” – chances are, you weren’t thinking about how others would judge your work. You were experimenting. You were free. That’s play. And that freedom is what perfectionism tries to strangle.

How to Shift from Perfection to Play

Here are a few ways to step into a more playful, creative state:

• Lower the stakes. Remind yourself: This isn’t the final draft. This isn’t your magnum opus. This is version 0.1.
  

• Set playful constraints or leverage prompts. Give yourself weird limitations—like only using three colors, or writing a poem using only one-syllable words. Constraints can paradoxically lead to more creative freedom.
  

• Celebrate messiness and create space for it. Make it your goal to create something “bad” on purpose. Take away the pressure to succeed by giving yourself a space free of intention or outcome that no one else will ever see, and watch what unfolds.
  

• Move your body. Sometimes creativity is stuck in the mind. Getting out of your head is a must. A walk, a dance, or even five minutes of silly movement can shake something loose.
  

• Reframe failure. Every "bad" idea is just part of the path to a good one. Mistakes are feedback, not proof that you should stop.
  
  

Final Thoughts

Creativity is not a clean process. It’s a sandbox, not a spreadsheet. If you want to do great work, you have to be willing to make weird, imperfect, sometimes even terrible stuff first. Perfectionism can’t survive in that space – and that’s a good thing.

So next time you’re creating and find yourself worrying about a perfect final piece, pause and ask: What if I played instead?