Creativity and Perfectionism

 

When is a painting finished?

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I haven't painted in years, but I've spoken with others who struggle with the final steps, adding those finishing touches to artwork. This also applies to music, or writing.

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How much pressure should an artist put themselves under to create a product they're completely happy with?

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​Today, if asked for an example of "genius", many would bring up the name Leonardo da Vinci - painter, scholar, engineer, inventor. He himself thought he could have done better. Here are his reported last words, translated into English:
I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.​
 

Another great artist is Hokusai Katsushika, famous for painting thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. His last words:
If heaven had only granted me five years more, I could have become a real painter.​
 

Now that's perfectionism.​