The DnD reference in the ceramics image made my heart sing!
Thrilled to see you embrace the art of not being perfect at something. I have a life-long comedy feud with my Mum, who is a complete perfectionist, about our knitting. She will rip back rows and rows and give up on projects all together if they are not perfect. As a result she creates the most beautiful things. I on the other hand don't have the patience, I will carry on regardless of a misread piece of a pattern or if something doesn't like up, I'm a "fudger" convinced that they eye looks for pattern and will fill in the blanks and that life is too short for perfect socks. As a result I create the most beautiful things. It works for both of us and makes us both laugh at each other's approach.
I can’t speak to getting out of the vortex - I’m an artist myself who struggles with it - but I do want to tell you that I adore receiving your newsletter and hearing your voice come through such earnest words. My fear of becoming irrelevant in a world where so many people have become comfortable with AI makes me gravitate even more intensely towards imperfect human touches. Keep writing. There’s a bunch of us waiting to read.
Was going to write my own comment but @jo exquisitely expressed everything I’d wanted to say. We need you and your earnest humanity, Hrishi, and ALL OF US with our earnest humanity…it’s the only way forward as I see it. Thanks for bringing us all along on your fake-it-til-you-make-it journey.
I love your newsletter and have missed it and think it’s perfect and am a huge fan of run-on sentences. And I’m extremely impressed with your ceramic output!
What you write about perfectionism talks to me deeply. A few years ago I started whittling and it might have been my own attempt at tackling perfectionism, since I'm whittling with no other purpose than itself - and if this frog's leg is a little crooked, well, it gives the frog a funny slant! It has brought me so much joy, however imperfect my creations. Also it's a quiet hobby that doesn't require a lot of tools or space, so it's easy to do at home.
I'm so happy that Home Cooking is coming back, it's by far my favourite podcast!
I'm a longtime fan of Home Cooking, and I'm thrilled that there will be more episodes with Samin. I'm also loving the episodes of Key Change--thoughtful, smart people having vulnerable conversations about the song (or any art) they love and what it means to them and why is my jam. Good luck with the ceramics and journaling. I too have abandoned many a journal, so I feel your pain.
Thank you for writing this piece, I really enjoyed it! I definitely relate to what you're saying about perfectionism - I'm realising more and more that there is a huge difference between gently holding yourself to a higher stander to support your improvement at something, verses just unrelentingly being so self critical that it ruins your experience and takes away the love of trying something new.
As a pottery teacher, I wanted to say that your pots are fantastic! They have such a beautiful character to them. Very early on when I started pottery I made an incredibly squashed and wonky vase. A year or so ago I made a the same shape and size vase, with the same glaze, but this time it's light, well refined, and smooth. And when comparing them although the first one is 'worse' in terms of quality of making etc etc, I love it SO much more. I absolutely love how misshapen it is. Embrace the wonkiness! One thing that helped me do this was to look at some of the most famous moon jars in history from the Joseon dynasty. They're incredibly famous and valuable, but are also very wonky! (here is one: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45432).
Love this idea! I've been an amateur knitter for years who could never start a project because I wanted to knit something complicated perfectly from beginning to end without making any mistakes because I don't know how to fix mistakes by undoing a stitch or picking up dropped stitches. But it's inevitable that you'll make mistakes while knitting something complicated. So if you don't know how to fix mistakes you can't knit something complicated, and the only way to learn to fix mistakes is by just.... knitting and making those mistakes. My perfectionism was holding me back. I recently gave in and accepted that I'll have to make something imperfect in order to become a better knitter who knows how to fix mistakes. I've realized that it's sort of a metaphor for everything in life and it's helped me let go of the perfectionism in other parts of life as well!
I’ve never been so inspired to try to suck at something new. I struggle with perfectionism so much that I am constantly having to recreate rules that will allow me to access my own creativity. I have tried drawing for 10 minutes a day and that is too little to be enough. I have tried making it a job but I’m a terrible boss. I’m mean and bad at forcing myself to do things.
It’s only this constant reminder that doing something creative isn’t necessary easy and it is definitely not perfect that helps. So thank you so much for writing this!
Also, Home Cooking was and is still my favorite podcast ever. Maybe it’s because it not forced and you do it when you feel like it that makes it feel so good. I don’t know but I love it.
Oh, Hrishi, you’re poking me right in my enneagram fiveness. I don’t want to do something unless I will be good at it, so I’m hesitant to try new things. And much easier to push my feelings down than to journal them! But you’re inspiring me. Maybe the five line journal is a good way to start.
Love this! Ceramics has been incredible for my perfectionism. I do it solely for fun and even though I’ve been doing it for years I refuse to sell anything other than for charity auctions. Everything becomes a gift for friends, which makes it very low-stakes. I have no illusions that I’ll ever be a great ceramicist, so I’m just “exploring” and “playing.” Every time a form falls, I say to myself, “it’s just dirt.” My favorite is when something doesn’t go as planned (constantly with clay) and I turn it into something I would have never planned. Sometimes I come home with stuff I’m proud of, but usually I come home with stuff I’m surprised I made because my progress is visible but most things fail. I preach about this hobby to everyone I know. Everyone needs it, or something like it. So happy you’re giving it a go. Have fun!
I loved your radio podcast with Simrin and i have been following you ever since! I am 73 years young and i am a Community Artist and a chef at home! I love your honesty and i have journals but its never consistent and it all over the place! I am from India but living in Cincinnati for the last 30 years! Looking forward with your collaborations with like minded people! 🙏🏾❤️
Hey Hrishi. You are one brave dude to put yourself in an uncomfortable position (albeit one that results in ceramic works that I'd certainly buy and display). Perfection is so overrated and actually pretty boring. Your writing (and your podcasts) are original and winsome and engaging, all in a beautifully non-perfect way. This latest missive was really honest and inspiring and am totally rooting for you to find the all the joy in creativity that you deserve, how ever many or few lines it takes you.
I spent most of my adolescence skateboarding and surfing, something that came naturally to me then, but is now much harder at 39. Going to the skatepark or the beach these days has been deeply humbling, but one thing that’s helped me transcend my insecurities is my gratitude for the simple act of still being able to do either activity. I know there will come a day when I won’t be able to do either and for now, just focusing on my body, the ocean (or concrete), and the sensations associated with both has been sufficient (that is, until some 13 year old one ups me at the park and looks right in my direction LOL)
Wow, did I need to read this today. I've had a lifelong battle with perfectionism and it does leach the joy out of doing. I really appreciate how you started with expected failure -- I may try this. Thanks for your honesty.
The DnD reference in the ceramics image made my heart sing!
Thrilled to see you embrace the art of not being perfect at something. I have a life-long comedy feud with my Mum, who is a complete perfectionist, about our knitting. She will rip back rows and rows and give up on projects all together if they are not perfect. As a result she creates the most beautiful things. I on the other hand don't have the patience, I will carry on regardless of a misread piece of a pattern or if something doesn't like up, I'm a "fudger" convinced that they eye looks for pattern and will fill in the blanks and that life is too short for perfect socks. As a result I create the most beautiful things. It works for both of us and makes us both laugh at each other's approach.
I love the (correct) equivalence of your and your Mum's results. Thank you—I'm going to tuck this thought away for times when I need it.
I can’t speak to getting out of the vortex - I’m an artist myself who struggles with it - but I do want to tell you that I adore receiving your newsletter and hearing your voice come through such earnest words. My fear of becoming irrelevant in a world where so many people have become comfortable with AI makes me gravitate even more intensely towards imperfect human touches. Keep writing. There’s a bunch of us waiting to read.
Was going to write my own comment but @jo exquisitely expressed everything I’d wanted to say. We need you and your earnest humanity, Hrishi, and ALL OF US with our earnest humanity…it’s the only way forward as I see it. Thanks for bringing us all along on your fake-it-til-you-make-it journey.
I love your newsletter and have missed it and think it’s perfect and am a huge fan of run-on sentences. And I’m extremely impressed with your ceramic output!
What you write about perfectionism talks to me deeply. A few years ago I started whittling and it might have been my own attempt at tackling perfectionism, since I'm whittling with no other purpose than itself - and if this frog's leg is a little crooked, well, it gives the frog a funny slant! It has brought me so much joy, however imperfect my creations. Also it's a quiet hobby that doesn't require a lot of tools or space, so it's easy to do at home.
I'm so happy that Home Cooking is coming back, it's by far my favourite podcast!
I'm a longtime fan of Home Cooking, and I'm thrilled that there will be more episodes with Samin. I'm also loving the episodes of Key Change--thoughtful, smart people having vulnerable conversations about the song (or any art) they love and what it means to them and why is my jam. Good luck with the ceramics and journaling. I too have abandoned many a journal, so I feel your pain.
Thank you for writing this piece, I really enjoyed it! I definitely relate to what you're saying about perfectionism - I'm realising more and more that there is a huge difference between gently holding yourself to a higher stander to support your improvement at something, verses just unrelentingly being so self critical that it ruins your experience and takes away the love of trying something new.
As a pottery teacher, I wanted to say that your pots are fantastic! They have such a beautiful character to them. Very early on when I started pottery I made an incredibly squashed and wonky vase. A year or so ago I made a the same shape and size vase, with the same glaze, but this time it's light, well refined, and smooth. And when comparing them although the first one is 'worse' in terms of quality of making etc etc, I love it SO much more. I absolutely love how misshapen it is. Embrace the wonkiness! One thing that helped me do this was to look at some of the most famous moon jars in history from the Joseon dynasty. They're incredibly famous and valuable, but are also very wonky! (here is one: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45432).
All the best, Honor
thank you so much for that vote of confidence, and for the link to these great moon jars!
Love this idea! I've been an amateur knitter for years who could never start a project because I wanted to knit something complicated perfectly from beginning to end without making any mistakes because I don't know how to fix mistakes by undoing a stitch or picking up dropped stitches. But it's inevitable that you'll make mistakes while knitting something complicated. So if you don't know how to fix mistakes you can't knit something complicated, and the only way to learn to fix mistakes is by just.... knitting and making those mistakes. My perfectionism was holding me back. I recently gave in and accepted that I'll have to make something imperfect in order to become a better knitter who knows how to fix mistakes. I've realized that it's sort of a metaphor for everything in life and it's helped me let go of the perfectionism in other parts of life as well!
I’ve never been so inspired to try to suck at something new. I struggle with perfectionism so much that I am constantly having to recreate rules that will allow me to access my own creativity. I have tried drawing for 10 minutes a day and that is too little to be enough. I have tried making it a job but I’m a terrible boss. I’m mean and bad at forcing myself to do things.
It’s only this constant reminder that doing something creative isn’t necessary easy and it is definitely not perfect that helps. So thank you so much for writing this!
Also, Home Cooking was and is still my favorite podcast ever. Maybe it’s because it not forced and you do it when you feel like it that makes it feel so good. I don’t know but I love it.
Oh, Hrishi, you’re poking me right in my enneagram fiveness. I don’t want to do something unless I will be good at it, so I’m hesitant to try new things. And much easier to push my feelings down than to journal them! But you’re inspiring me. Maybe the five line journal is a good way to start.
Love this! Ceramics has been incredible for my perfectionism. I do it solely for fun and even though I’ve been doing it for years I refuse to sell anything other than for charity auctions. Everything becomes a gift for friends, which makes it very low-stakes. I have no illusions that I’ll ever be a great ceramicist, so I’m just “exploring” and “playing.” Every time a form falls, I say to myself, “it’s just dirt.” My favorite is when something doesn’t go as planned (constantly with clay) and I turn it into something I would have never planned. Sometimes I come home with stuff I’m proud of, but usually I come home with stuff I’m surprised I made because my progress is visible but most things fail. I preach about this hobby to everyone I know. Everyone needs it, or something like it. So happy you’re giving it a go. Have fun!
I loved your radio podcast with Simrin and i have been following you ever since! I am 73 years young and i am a Community Artist and a chef at home! I love your honesty and i have journals but its never consistent and it all over the place! I am from India but living in Cincinnati for the last 30 years! Looking forward with your collaborations with like minded people! 🙏🏾❤️
Hey Hrishi. You are one brave dude to put yourself in an uncomfortable position (albeit one that results in ceramic works that I'd certainly buy and display). Perfection is so overrated and actually pretty boring. Your writing (and your podcasts) are original and winsome and engaging, all in a beautifully non-perfect way. This latest missive was really honest and inspiring and am totally rooting for you to find the all the joy in creativity that you deserve, how ever many or few lines it takes you.
Your journal holder looks amazing!!! I love that idea to honor the practice by making it a designated home!
"It turns out making something is much more fun than convincing yourself not to make something." This is the sentence I needed to hear today.
I spent most of my adolescence skateboarding and surfing, something that came naturally to me then, but is now much harder at 39. Going to the skatepark or the beach these days has been deeply humbling, but one thing that’s helped me transcend my insecurities is my gratitude for the simple act of still being able to do either activity. I know there will come a day when I won’t be able to do either and for now, just focusing on my body, the ocean (or concrete), and the sensations associated with both has been sufficient (that is, until some 13 year old one ups me at the park and looks right in my direction LOL)
Wow, did I need to read this today. I've had a lifelong battle with perfectionism and it does leach the joy out of doing. I really appreciate how you started with expected failure -- I may try this. Thanks for your honesty.