21–30 of 83 posts
Hello all, OP here. Don't hesitate to shoot any questions if you have any. This blog is mostly oriented towards filmmakers, but the concept of perfecting vs completing can apply just as well to web or technical endeavors.
I'm really skeptical of this attitude. In a lot of fields I've seen people who commit themselves to "just getting it done." The result is that they do get a lot of work done: and it's bad, it's mediocre, it doesn't have value. On the other hand, one can easily think of creators who spent a long time on one work (maybe "too much" time), and the result was work of lasting value. Of course, this relates more to artistic…
I think it's important to show your work early, in order that others can feedback. It's very easy to perfectly create something but to make some fundamental miss-step with the overall design.
Hello all, OP here. Don't hesitate to shoot any questions if you have any. This blog is mostly oriented towards filmmakers, but the concept of perfecting vs completing can apply just as well to web or technical endeavors.
Thanks for posting this! Have you noticed a difference in people who are more accustomed to tapping into their flow state? Might be hard to get honest answers from people, I realize.
In which case, it's hard to tell, since it is quite subconscious.
I'd be tempted to say that being in the zone (if that's what you mean, let me know if not) happens to people who allow themselves to be less self-conscious, to be less disturbed by their own ego. In which case it may help them create better or more focused work.
Although I realize I will probably give this a bit more thoughts, since that's interesting :)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks for posting this! Have you noticed a difference in people who are more accustomed to tapping into their flow state? Might be hard to get honest answers from people, I realize.
Is tapping into your flow state a similar thing to "being in the zone"? In which case, it's hard to tell, since it is quite subconscious. I'd be tempted to say that being in the zone (if that's what you mean, let me know if not) happens to people who allow themselves to be less self-conscious, to be less disturbed by their own ego. In which case it may help them create better or more focused work. Although I realize…
Yep, exactly! I could see people who try to control things too much having a hard time getting into that state/zone and replacing it with a long cycle of fussing, but that's just how I imagine it might work. Thanks for the reply :^)
I'm really skeptical of this attitude. In a lot of fields I've seen people who commit themselves to "just getting it done." The result is that they do get a lot of work done: and it's bad, it's mediocre, it doesn't have value. On the other hand, one can easily think of creators who spent a long time on one work (maybe "too much" time), and the result was work of lasting value. Of course, this relates more to artistic…
99% of the perfectionists I have had the misfortune to work with are just slow or out of their depth and are using the term as an emotional crutch. How much nicer it is to tell yourself that you are a perfectionist than you are just not very good at whatever you are doing. The people that turn out near perfect work are usually the fastest and just get things done. It is a pity they are so rare.
There's room for both types of people in the world, but only one should call themselves an engineer.
Obsessing over minutiae won't help you to see the bigger picture. I think it's important to show your work early, in order that others can feedback. It's very easy to perfectly create something but to make some fundamental miss-step with the overall design.
Obsessing over minutiae won't help you to see the bigger picture.
There are flavors of good engineering that allow the team to maintain velocity year over year. Too often those techniques get thrown under the perfectionism bus and then later the team blames “bad luck” [edit or ‘stupid people’ not them] for their failures.
99% of the perfectionists I have had the misfortune to work with are just slow or out of their depth and are using the term as an emotional crutch. How much nicer it is to tell yourself that you are a perfectionist than you are just not very good at whatever you are doing. The people that turn out near perfect work are usually the fastest and just get things done. It is a pity they are so rare.