I'm a graphic artist, and during/after completing a project, I feel 99% of the time that I "could have done better". I almost always end up destroying my hard work and re-doing it many times. This also stems into other projects, not necessarily graphic design. After all is said and done, I either have wasted many hours, or have completely destroyed something. How can I overcome this, and what is causing it?
2007-03-17 19:09:25 · 8 answers · asked by ForgottenSpectrum 2 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
Perry, being a perfectionist is praiseworthy, but you have to make a living out of this, and time is a vital factor in the equation. Consider who your client is in each case, and what their expectations might be. Some will want perfection, certainly, but you'll find that most are not sufficiently educated in design to know what that is. That's why they are contracting you. You must decide what is satisfactory for the purposes of each client, and do that to the best of your ability. Balance, and pragmatism, will come as you gain experience in the profession. It's the client you have to satisfy, not yourself.
2007-03-17 19:18:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will always be your toughest critic, a good way to overcome this is to step away, completely from your work (and I mean completely) disconnect, and then come back and see what you could change. Also, getting opinions is helpful. If someone likes what you have done, after many hours of work, then it's good enough.
2007-03-18 02:15:52 · answer #2 · answered by california girl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I imagine that this behavior is proportional to the expense. In other words, would you do this if you were on a time schedual and had a customer waiting to pay for your work. And many do exactly the same in the sense that they destroy their present work just to do it over maybe with a more perfect twist than before. And some do it to prove to themselves their transcendence over material things. But feel thier work is important to the rest of society so they do it again.
2007-03-18 02:19:53 · answer #3 · answered by JORGE N 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a psychologist but I think you should try to look at your work from someone else's eyes. Like a person who does not have a clue about graphic art. I don't know anything about graphic art and I'm pretty sure I would be in aawwww if I saw all u'r effort. U'r work has to be good if you put in all that time. Just look at your work through my eyes and smile. It's all good!!!!!!!!
see, John S knows what he's taking about!
2007-03-18 02:18:57 · answer #4 · answered by Nishu 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is a self esteem issue. im not sure what you can do, but one of these days youre going to say f--- it. and the first sloppy thing you do will be good enough, because you just wont have the energy to play that kind of game with yourself anymore.
maybe you should hang with other artists and see how they operate. i say this because i used to be the same way as you were when i was working. i would throw away my reports only to write them again. one day i met someone who had cancer and she used to write her reports in mere minutes. they were sloppy, ill-defined, with tons of errors. she noticed one day that i used to re-do everything and she asked me why. i told her i dont know, even though i kind of did. basically i knew i was crazy and a perfectionist. well she just looked at me and said, "i dont kow how you do it. because i dont have time for that sh**" and that was so true. she didnt have time for that sh** because she was dying. and like we are all going to die. so once you get the sense of how youre wasting time, limited time, and also you realize that creativity is in the essence of the moment, not many moments, you will realize you dont have time for that sh**.
good luck.
2007-03-18 02:41:38 · answer #5 · answered by wcarolinew 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At the end of the day when you can say hey at least I tried and I did the best I could with the amount time I had. Pat yourself on the back youll feel better!
2007-03-18 02:14:34 · answer #6 · answered by sparkle_babi86 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Something is good-enough when you stop criticizing it. You are sabotaging yourself. Start using different words in your thoughts and everything will change. For example: well-done, excellent, super-effort, awsome just for starters. You are being your own worst enemy.
2007-03-18 02:59:37 · answer #7 · answered by stedyedy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i say maybe you should show your graphics to people you know will give you the right answers to you, and will be truthful to you so you know that they will be honest about your graphics...if that made any sense at all :P
2007-03-18 02:20:44 · answer #8 · answered by xxx_amber_baby.gurl_xxx 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋