Recently, I have pondered the process of "getting things done" artistically and how much of a perfectionist I am in the process. When it comes to my main disciplines, I am quick to express my art; however, the process is intense and at times, nerve-wracking. A few weeks ago, I found the perfect thing to help me express my talent and at the same time, force me to admire perfectionism in a way. I'm sure you all heard of the "talent-craving" site: YouTube. Recently, my sister and I took on a challenge to put up three videos a week incorporating our vocals, guitar, and piano. At first, It was simple to start the channel because we're so used to jamming and connecting with music. However, once that camera hit our face, the thoughts of "what the world will think of this" and "are these good enough?" slithered through our minds.
Our channel consists of various covers of hit songs, incorporating our distinct harmony. This is the intense process: pick a song, memorize the lyrics, practice with guitar and vocals, add harmony, and record as many times until we enjoy the product. At times, I find this channel humorous because we OBSESS over this modern passage to fame. However, it's our passion (so we have no reason to get bored of it), and it's great practice for guitar, vocals, and ear training. Although my sister and I can re-record and press rewind, the channel keeps us determined and makes perfectionism significant in good music. Without the constructive criticism left in the comment box and without the over-practicing, Nat and I wouldn't be able to improve in our future videos. I think there should be an exception to the rule: when the product of perfectionism creates boundaries and blocks, we should avoid it. But when perfectionism surrounds us with confidence and beneficial hard work, we're allowed to cling to it more...
I hope you can all come check out our channel and follow us on this journey: http://www.youtube.com/dougandnat
However, once that camera hit our face, the thoughts of "what the world will think of this" and "are these good enough?" slithered through our minds.
ReplyDeleteIt does slither, doesn't it? Self-doubt, judgement... it is insidious.
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Agreed. Insidious is the perfect adjective. No matter how hard you try to rid perfectionism and validation, it always creeps up when you least expect it. We're finding that we should "redo" less because once we're called to perform these somewhere, there are no camera cuts allowed. Live is live.
ReplyDeleteI've watched all the videos on your channel and they're all amazing. Just an FYI
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