Imperfection and Why It's a Relief - Part 2
Ask any musician what they struggle with and they will likely tell you, "perfectionism". How letting go of the pressure of perfectionism is liberating and necessary for overall optimum health.
Hello there! Apologies for missing last week— several urgent and important matters were commanding my time and attention and I wanted to be able to give proper attention to this article, so I postponed it until today. Hope it finds you well, happy, and excited for the upcoming holidays!
As promised, here is a continuation of our series on imperfection. There has been something immensely captivating about studying this idea over letting go of perfectionism. So much has changed in my perspective about the topic and I am anxious to share with you in hopes that you will find valuable insights as well!
So! Without further ado…..
Thomas Sterner (author of The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life) continues:
“There is an endless quality to life. There is always more to be experienced. Deep down, we know this and are glad for it. The problem is that everyday life steals this sense from us. It pulls us away from this perspective, constantly bombarding us with advertisements that all promise to fulfill us through purchases: ‘Get this, do that, and life will be perfect.’ But none of this ever works. We need to let go of the futile idea that happiness is out there somewhere, and embrace the infinite growth available to us as a treasure, not as something that we are impatient to overcome. People involved in the arts come to understand this endless nature through direct experience, which is part of all the arts. . . what lies in wait to ambush our enthusiasm, is our lack of preparation: We are undertaking an art that is infinite in its potential for growth, and because of that we need to prepare to let go of the goal of being ‘good’ at it quickly. There is no goal to reach other than pursuing the activity. . . what we are doing has no end. Wherever we are in our process is where we should be.”
He goes on to share his experiences in piano lessons— one deals with his piano teacher feeling like he needed to work harder to get really “good” at the piano despite years of solid practice ethic (sometimes practicing 7-8 hours a day) and studying with a world-renowned classical and jazz pianist. Of course, those- like Thomas- who heard his piano teacher play aspired to be as accomplished as he was, so this demonstrated the concept he previously explained about the never-ending cycle of growth. Thomas explains, “it occurred to me that if someone could reach Don’s level of playing ability and still feel unfulfilled, I was going to have to rethink both my motivations for studying the instrument and my need to reach some level of ‘perfection’ in order to become fulfilled.”
What is your motivation for studying your instrument? Do you feel a need to reach a particular level of “perfection” in order to feel accomplished and fulfilled? Why?
As I have pondered these questions for myself, I have found a lot of solace in the fact that my studies and journey are about the pursuit of the activity. Perfection is not the purpose— what matters is that I am consistently showing up and putting in the effort. The rewards of these efforts will take care of themselves. Music is an art; art should come from the heart in one way or another. As long as your art has your heart in it, that’s what is truly important. Never mind about perfection!
Stay tuned for part 3 of this series, coming next week!
Community thread prompt: Consider the questions about what your motivation is for studying and feeling a need for a particular level of perfection.