I was re-reading Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing by John R. Trimble (which is an excellent book on writing!)to help a kid I tutor with writing and came across this witty quote. I feel like this can be true not only in writing, but also in life in general:
"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a sh****y first draft. Perfectionism will ruin your writing, blocking inventiveness and playfulness and life force (these are words we are allowed to use in California). Perfectionism means that you try desperately not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived. Clutter is wonderfully fertile ground-- you can still discover new treasures under all those piles, clean things up, edit things out, fix things, get a grip. Tidiness suggests that something is as good as it's going to get. Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation, while writing needs to breathe and move."
~Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Came across this blog on Recovering Perfectionists: quite funny since I can totally relate.
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