damn it

Yesterday mid-morning, i had the  Almost Perfect Work sitting on  my worktable. By noon it had got even better, Perfect even.  By 1pm---- i had destroyed it.                              WHY do i always feel the need to "Improve"??????? To top it off, the main component is irreplaceable in a sense as it was part of the rusted lutrador that was so gorgeous!

How do *you* know when to stop sometimes?????? 

Comments

[sharon]

I so know what you mean and sympathize. I find I tend to stop too soon with a piece , for fear of overworking it. The only way I've found to see how an addition will look is to scan the main piece into photoshop and past on the addition if it's appropriate.

[Acey]

For me it's pretty clearcut, if not simple. I 'transpose' something I was once taught in a writing seminar which boils down to the fact that when you think a piece of work needs one more killer paragraph STOP RIGHT THERE.

I do that with visual creativity all the time. When I most feel the compulsion to 'keep going' - I don't.

[Tenar]

I have loads of unfinished pieces I don't finish because I can't decide if I should add some more or not. Not exactly helpful, I know. But for me, it's all about perfection, I think. You know, if you can't get it perfectly right, then better not finish it at all. The best way arround it for me is telling myself I'm just playing, or making a tryout piece and there can't go much wrong really. Deadlines are also good because they keep me from endless brooding and procrastinating. I guess you need to be bold about stopping to fiddle with something, while I need to be bold about doing either the last bits, or admitting that I'm already done. For me, finishing something is often about realizing that something looks OK and won't get much better although I'm far from contend with it.

Sorry for the probably unhelpful rant.

Tenar

[Midge]

Tenar must be reading my brainwaves! Not a question to ask me, I'm afraid - I think I have a serious psychological problem with finishing things. At college I had a buddy who used to do what you think you do. In Art classes, I used to say to her "less is more" and that old adage about the perfect outfit - take one thing away. HOWEVER - I lack the guts or maybe I am just afraid of finishing so I tend to go t'other way. We actually made a good team. How is Greyman on judging the "finishedness" of a project?

[deb]

It's really hard to stay your hand when you are intent on the instant gratification of technique.

I force myself to step away, put my hands in my pockets, close my eyes and then look at a piece from steps away and let my brain take back control from my hands. I can't tell you how many times I spent hours sewing beads on things only to pick them all off later on.