Healing our Perfectionism with Wabisabi

Imperfections are proof of human work, and in this age we're desperately seeking proof of humanity, it's the perfect time to let go of perfectionism and criticism.

In both the work of others and in our own.

I used to think I had to be good at something before I anyone could see me do it. And this was in sports, writing, drawing, cooking. Embarrassingly, pretty much anything.

I hated the idea of someone seeing me bad at something.

And if there was a single typo in one of my blogs or books?

You get me?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0uBrQ6i2Ng

But this really isn't good for us. This perfectionism is ruining our chances of enjoying what we do and feeling proud of ourselves, and it eats away at us more than we know.

And in this time when no errors equals lack of trust? Like when students are openly being marked lower in grades because their teachers suspect them of using AI just because they had good grammar?

I think embracing the messiness and errors of human work is the way forward. And that's exactly what the Japanese philosophy of wabisabi teaches. To embrace and find the beauty in something imperfect or incomplete.

It's proof of someone's hard work. Proof someone put effort to make it.

Proof a human made it at all.

So all those times we were frustrated at ourselves for not being able to draw a hand right?

I think it's time we can chill on that a little more. Because at least it's proof we did it ourselves.

Wabisabi. Somehow, this could be the way we heal our perfectionism ... and get a little closer to and more trusting of others at the same time.