Perfection or Finished?

We are all different. My mother loved perfection. She once embroidered a pair of pillowcases--it only took her 16 years to do them.

They were perfect. The only trouble was we were all sick to death of watching her pick at them.

Would you rather do a thing perfectly or get it done?

Dear Alice,
When I decided to paint pictures, I used a magnifying glass to make sure that every brush stroke put the real deal down exactly as I was looking at it.

I do not do that crap any longer. I have a broader vision, more of an impressionistic appreciation of the world. Big blotches of life, not the itty bitty. Let it all come out in the effect of living and not the small details. I feel better.

Love,
Betty

I like to make it as perfect as possible, but won't spend forever nitpicking. Life is too short!

If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

Don,

It can be done right, but not perfectly done.

I still laugh at our daughter .

She was a true sage, She sat on the garage step and watched as I scrubbed the garage floor with hot water and disinfectant.

She said, " You had better do it again, just in case. "

I noticed my Mother-in-law did not pick and carry on--she got a job done.

I can't spend years on one thing. I toss it in the garbage can first.

Down the road from us lived a woman who picked weeds out of her front yard wth tweezers. She drove everyone crazy wth her compulsion.

Don,
what you said makes sense. For most things, it takes twice as much time to do it over than to do it right the first time. With writing, that is not always the case. A good editor will suggest changes to improve the work that the writer has over-looked. I doubt if any of us settled on our first ms even with all the editing we personally put into it.

Like Abe, I'm with Don on this one.

Okay guys--I am with the concept. just show us how to do it--in a reasonable time, of course!

I agree with Don, though doing it right but doing it perfect is as Merri said not the same. I doubt if most things are perfect because it would slow down industry to make it so. And in the gardening how many of us would get out the tape measure for planting. Still as has been said why waste time fixing something because you never did it right the first time or as close to that you are able.

I don't know what perfection is in writing because the technical mixes with the impact of the story. Sometimes technical perfection can take away from impact or the other way around. I think the elimination of obvious errors is a must, but beyond that the readers will determine how perfect it is given what you were trying to accomplish. I think it is possible to go past seeking perfection and cross into obsession or paralysis if it goes too long.

Alice, as always, I like both/and better than either/or.

Ann

Perfect and finished, eh? Flash fiction version: perfectly finished.

... or, a perfect finish -- sounds like gloss paint!

Ha ha! I love the tape measure idea.


DT, you are right about obsession.

When I was on one med I would arrange flowers all night long.

In the morning they were no better or worse looking.
The only difference was that I had had no sleep.
When I stopped the pill I stopped doing that.

Life s easier now, I simply put them in a vase and enjoy then,

For everyone who said they want things perfect, may we take a look at your sock drawer and see how neatly and perfectly your socks are aligned? How about that "catch-all" drawer that every household contains? The glove box of your car? When you toss your shoes in the closet are they nestled together or haphazardly placed with little care? Not everything needs to be done with perfection. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

merrihiatt wrote:

For everyone who said they want things perfect, may we take a look at your sock drawer and see how neatly and perfectly your socks are aligned? How about that "catch-all" drawer that every household contains? The glove box of your car? When you toss your shoes in the closet are they nestled together or haphazardly placed with little care? Not everything needs to be done with perfection. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

Right on!

dtpollard wrote:

I don't know what perfection is in writing because the technical mixes with the impact of the story. Sometimes technical perfection can take away from impact or the other way around. I think the elimination of obvious errors is a must, but beyond that the readers will determine how perfect it is given what you were trying to accomplish. I think it is possible to go past seeking perfection and cross into obsession or paralysis if it goes too long.

It's quite easy to become overly obsessed with perfection about things in an otherwise imperfect world...

Sometimes wanting something perfect keeps us from finishing it.

Carol

Carol,


So true.

Actually my closet is just as Merri described. I believe you will find many veterans brought that back with them from the military. If you were going to join Don on a jump would you want the parachute perfect or just good enough?

I should have known Dick's closet would be perfect! The question is, can you find what you want/need when you want/need it? I can, but my closet is not perfect. **giggling madly **

There are times when having something perfect is worth the time and effort. Other times I think we get so bogged down in making something perfect that we overwork it and cause extra stress where none is actually needed.

Of course I would want my parachute packed perfectly. I'd also like my airline pilot to have gotten a good night's sleep and not been drinking before we head off into the sunny sky. Some things are beyond my control.

Dick,

If the parachute were just good enough--it would work.
What is the problem here?

Anyway I am jumping with Don, he knows what to do if anything goes wrong.

Answer me please!

One of the reasons I quit the first time was because I was settling for "good enough" and had to use my reserve three out of my last ten jumps!!!

Thank you!

Quote :

Would you rather do a thing perfectly or get it done?

I would rather do something perfectly, but I prefer to just get it done--and as long as I'm happy with it, it's "perfect"!