Are You Afraid of Making Mistakes?

Even though mixed media artists tend to be freer and less perfect with their work, there still seems to be a fear of making mistakes. Does this happen to you?

I admit, even though mixed media work has been a lot less strict than my other experiences with artwork, I still feel as though I’m going to make a mistake. This type of perfectionism follows me throughout other areas of my life, as well, but I have found it to be different when it comes to art.

In this case, I feel like I can’t really create unless it’s going to turn out exactly the way I envision. I council people all the time about letting the medium of choice guide them and not to worry about what’s going to happen. Why can’t I follow my own advice?

Don’t get me wrong. There are days when I’m able to get anything down on the surface – a doodle in my text journal, a small collage in my art journal, some basic ATCs – but it seems to be a different story when it’s on a canvas or a canvas-like material. Could it be because working in books is more private, whereas larger surfaces are generally for an audience?

What are your thoughts about this? I would love to hear from you through email or in the discussion area. Do you struggle with this, as well?