Done Not Perfect Drawing Series: Overcoming Perfectionism In Art

I've lost count of how many times I've sat with a blank sketchbook in front of me, paralyzed by the thought that I wouldn't be able to create something worth looking at. It didn't feel like just a doubt to me - it was this deep, gnawing fear that maybe I didn't have what it takes to become a successful artist. More than I'd like to admit, I'd let anxiety win and make the choice not to create. But I’m on a quest to break this cycle and build a career as an artist, so I needed to start something that would push me to confront this paralysis head-on and create a more productive and creative rhythm.

This ink drawing of a luna moth is part of my "Done-Not-Perfect" series, created to capture the beau

This ink drawing of a Raven Skull is part of my "Done-Not-Perfect" series, created to capture the be

This ink drawing of Angry Shards is part of my "Done-Not-Perfect" series, created to capture the be

Thus, my "Done-Not-Perfect" drawing series was born. If you read my last blog on how Inktober pushed my creative boundaries, the mantra probably sounds familiar. Think of this series as an on-going drawing challenge without rules. I needed to shift my mindset from overthinking to taking action. I wanted to tap back into my inner child's sense of unyielding curiosity, and I needed to find a way to do so without adding pressure.

Guidelines for Done-Not-Perfect Drawing series

I know what you're thinking: "Wait, didn't she just say 'no rules'?" I did, but what kind of Capricorn would I be if I didn't have some guidelines to follow?

These are some simple ideas (or boundaries, or goals—pick your poison) that help guide my approach to this drawing series:

Stay Flexible

I started this project with the aim of creating 1–4 drawings a week, but those numbers are just a loose guide for my weekly planning. The real goal is to build the habit of quick, consistent creation. Some weeks, I need to step back and focus on other projects, and that’s okay. Progress isn’t about rigid expectations—it’s about growth.

Set a Timer

When I sit down to draw, I set a timer for a couple of hours, depending on my schedule. This helps me stay focused without overworking or burning out. Sometimes, if I’m drawing at night, I’ll time my session to the length of a comfort movie or a couple of episodes for a more relaxed approach.

Your turn...

If you've ever felt stuck waiting for the 'perfect' time, the 'perfect' idea, or the 'perfect' skill level—consider this your sign to just start. Set a timer, draw, paint, write—whatever it is you do. The more you create, the easier it gets to silence the fear and move forward.

Document the Process

I have been recording small clips of my drawings to share as reels on my Instagram—mostly to keep a simple record of my work. The marketing side of my brain tells me I should be doing more, but for now, this is what I have the capacity for. These posts aren’t about strategy; they’re about showing my progress and staying accountable to my creative growth.

Note!! I am in the process of shifting more of my work to the platform BlueSky, which is a decentralized, alternative social media that gives users more control.

Keep the Bigger Picture in Mind

Every drawing I complete becomes a potential product for my online store, which I host on this website. This mindset keeps me productive and helps me build tangible inventory, even when larger projects like paintings take longer to finish.

Take Breaks When Needed

On busier or mentally tough days, I do a personal check-in: Can I still create something if I try? Some days, I'll set everything up just to realize I can't proceed. If the resistance feels overwhelming, I step away instead of forcing it. Breaks aren’t setbacks—they’re necessary for avoiding burnout and staying excited about creating.

Beyond the structure of this series, I’ve had to shift my entire mindset about what it means to be a working artist. I wrote more about beginning that journey in The Artistic Crossroads: Navigating the Decision to Becoming a Full-Time Artist. If you’re grappling with similar questions, you might find it helpful too.

The Creative Mindset Shift

For a long time, I thought pursuing a creative career meant following a specific path—waiting for the right opportunity, building a “perfect” portfolio, or getting validation from the right people. But that mindset kept me stuck. The real shift happened when I stopped waiting and started making.

A creative career isn’t something you apply for—it’s something you build by consistently putting your work out into the world. The more I create, the more opportunities I make for myself. And the more I focus on the process, the less pressure I feel to have everything figured out in advance. Part of embracing a creative career is also letting go of the fear of sharing my work.

Minimize The Time Between Idea And Action

One of the biggest challenges in creating is the gap between having an idea and actually acting on it. The longer I wait, the more doubts creep in—Is this a good enough concept? Does this even matter?—and before I know it, the idea fades into the background.

I’ve learned that the key is minimizing the time between inspiration and execution. Instead of overthinking, I try to jump in as soon as possible, even if I don’t have everything figured out. A rough sketch, a quick note, some time spent researching all count towards moving forward. Creativity thrives in motion—it feeds off action, not waiting.

Lately, I’ve been drawn to gothic architecture and wanted to create a bold, haunting tattoo design inspired by it. Normally, I might have overthought the process or put it off, but I decided to just get it done—not perfect. That small decision set off a chain of momentum—I finished the design I envisioned, which sparked new ideas for a whole gothic manor series, which then led me to tattoo the gothic architecture piece on myself!

Check out the rest of the Gothic Manor collection here.

Not every idea will turn into something big, but that’s not the point. The point is to practice creating, not just thinking about creating. The world needs more, not fewer, unique ideas, and those ideas don’t come to life by waiting. They come to life by doing.

You Can’t Be Afraid to Show Your Work

There’s a quote (I wish I remembered where I first heard it) that goes something like:

Your only role as an artist is to create. Let the people decide if it’s good or not, and by the time they do, you will have already moved on to the next thing.

This has been a game-changer for me. It’s easy to get caught up in worrying about how people will receive my work—will they like it? Will they even care? But my job isn’t to predict reactions. My job is to create.

The more I share, the more I grow. Some pieces will resonate, some won’t—but none of that matters if I never put my work out there in the first place. So I keep creating, keep sharing, and keep moving forward.

A glimpse into my Done-Not-Perfect series—drawings created with the mindset of finishing, not perfecting. These are available as originals, and you can grab them in a discounted bundle! Choose 2, 3, or 6 drawings to build your own set. Check them out here.

The fear that my art—or dare I say, that I—am not good enough to build a career as an artist is always lurking in the trenches of my mind. Starting this series didn’t magically erase those deep-seated fears, but it did give me a way to confront them.

By showing up consistently, I’ve realized that fear doesn’t go away by waiting for it to leave. It only loses power when I create in spite of it.

My hope is that through taking this action regularly, I can learn to acknowledge the fear, face it head-on, and move forward anyway. Because at the end of the day, the only way to get better, to grow, and to build something meaningful is to keep creating—done, not perfect.