Embracing “Good Enough"
As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, this topic is tough for me to tackle. I’ve always been the type-A person, across every part of my life—relationships, school, work, and now, as a mom. I set high standards for myself, giving 100% to every task I take on. But the real question is: why? Where does this drive come from?
When it comes to creativity, I’ve struggled to truly let go and trust the process. Recently, while rediscovering my old notebooks from third grade, I re-read my journal entries, and I have to admit—for a nine-year-old, they were pretty damn good. The sentences flowed effortlessly, my punctuation and spelling were solid, and there were even colour-coded entries marked with pencil crayons. It made me wonder: was this how I measured my “perfection” as a 9-year-old writer?
This led me to think about the concept of embracing good enough, especially when all I want to do is be perfect. Perfectionism often leaves little room for growth and exploration; it can suffocate the very creative process I’m trying to nurture. As a former elementary teacher, I would often give my students the freedom to engage in hands-on, creative learning. I encouraged them to explore materials, to write about what they discovered, and to use math manipulatives in group work. Watching them experiment without rigid expectations was powerful. It made me question the value of rubrics and standards, and how, in some cases, they can hinder our creativity.
Sure, standards have their place. There’s a clear difference between an A and a D. But growing up, the A's were the only thing I sought after. I chased those grades even when I wasn’t truly absorbing or connecting with the material. It’s taken years to shift that perspective, and I’m still learning, but moving away from that letter grade obsession and letting go of the perfectionist mindset is key to becoming a better writer. In my opinion, it makes every other aspect of my life even better, too.
I can’t even count how many hours I’ve spent fine-tuning this blog—colour schemes, fonts, details—until my eyes blurred and I felt like I’d lost my sense of purpose. But over time, I’ve learned to let go of the perfect perfectionist tendency. I’ve learned that the creative process doesn’t thrive under the weight of flawlessness. Some strategies that have really helped me are setting small deadlines, using a timer to keep me on track, and—honestly—some days just saying, “fuck it. It’s good enough,” and walking away.
Because here’s the thing: perfection doesn’t make you a better creator. It just paralyzes you. Creativity is messy, unpredictable, and imperfect—and that’s what makes it beautiful. When I embrace the “good enough” mindset, I leave room for the magic of creation. I free myself from the pressure and give myself permission to experiment, fail, learn, and try again. That is where the true creative process begins.
