Perfectionism
A resource sheet for artists navigating perfectionism, unrealistic standards, and the shift toward sustainable artistry
What is Perfectionism?
Perfectionism is more than simply wanting to do well. In clinical terms, it is often defined as an overdependence of self-evaluation on personally demanding standards, with greater focus on failures than successes. While striving for excellence can be healthy, perfectionism crosses into problematic territory when these standards become rigid, unrealistic, and distressing—leading to avoidance, procrastination, and self-sabotage.
Perfectionism is not a standalone diagnosis in the DSM-5, but is considered a feature of certain personality styles, particularly within Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder. It can also appear alongside anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression, and performance anxiety.
Types of Perfectionism
Researchers often distinguish between different dimensions:
Self-oriented perfectionism – holding oneself to exceptionally high standards (“I must always be flawless”).
Other-oriented perfectionism – expecting others to meet equally strict standards (“Their work is never good enough”).
Socially prescribed perfectionism – believing others expect perfection from you (“If I make a mistake, I’ll disappoint people”).
Self-oriented perfectionism can sometimes have beneficial aspects—such as motivation and persistence—when it’s internally driven and flexible. Socially prescribed perfectionism is more strongly associated with distress, anxiety, and burnout.
How Perfectionism Affects Performing Artists
1. Amplified Self-Criticism
Performing artists often work in public, where their craft feels personal. Sharing art with an audience can intensify self-judgment: every mistake feels magnified. Some artists maintain a mental “error tally” during performance, which can erode expressivity and presence.
2. Procrastination and Avoidance
Fear of falling short can cause artists to delay or avoid work. A project may be endlessly revised, or never presented at all, because it doesn’t meet the artist’s self-imposed “perfect” standard.
3. Performance Anxiety and Burnout
Perfectionism and performance anxiety are closely linked. Over time, high internal pressure can deplete joy in the work, contribute to chronic stress, and push artists toward burnout.
4. Relationship Strain
Other-oriented perfectionism—holding colleagues or collaborators to impossible standards—can create tension and conflict. It may also feed a cycle of criticism and blame.
5. Vulnerability to Mental Health Issues
Research links perfectionism with depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts. In artists facing financial instability or precarious work, the drive for perfection can become even more toxic, reinforcing feelings of inadequacy.
6. Loss of Artistic Freedom
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma notes that technical perfection alone can feel empty: “Perfection is not very communicative… when you subordinate your technique to the musical message, you can take risks. It doesn’t matter if you fail.” A rigid perfectionist mindset can stifle risk-taking and creative growth.
Why It’s Common in Artists
Unpredictable careers: Financial instability and inconsistent opportunities can heighten the pressure to “be flawless” in order to stand out.
Early training focus: Many artists are trained in environments that prioritise “getting it right” (correct notes, exact technique) over exploration and expression, and these habits can persist.
Public evaluation: Constant exposure to critique—by audiences, reviewers, teachers, and peers—can fuel socially prescribed perfectionism.
Control in uncertainty: In unstable conditions, controlling one’s own output to the highest possible degree can feel like the only safeguard against rejection.
What Can Help
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT approaches perfectionism not by trying to eliminate self-critical thoughts, but by helping artists relate to them differently. Through mindfulness, defusion techniques, and clarifying personal values, ACT supports moving toward meaningful creative work—even when the mind insists “it’s not good enough.” The aim is not to silence the inner critic, but to loosen its control and focus energy on what matters most in art and life.
Systemic Therapy
Systemic approaches explore how perfectionism is shaped and maintained by the wider networks artists belong to—family, colleagues, institutions, and cultural norms. Understanding the patterns and expectations in these systems can open space for change, allowing the artist to reframe their role, renegotiate boundaries, and build more supportive relationships.
Structured daily routines
As Julia Grieshofer notes in her BAPAM article, building a balanced daily structure can help counter the tunnel vision that perfectionism often creates. This doesn’t mean rigid timetables or yet another set of impossible standards, but intentionally weaving in activities that replenish rather than deplete - physical movement, moments of stillness, nourishing meals, genuine connection with others, creative play, and restorative sleep. By anchoring the day in these varied forms of care, artists can shift attention away from factors they cannot control (such as sector inequaties or funding issues) toward actions that reliably support mental, physical, and creative health.
Reframing goals
Replacing the pursuit of perfection with the pursuit of excellence allows for mistakes as part of growth and prioritises communication, risk-taking, and authenticity over flawlessness.
Self-awareness and acceptance
As psychiatrist Raphael M. Bonelli notes, liberation from perfectionism comes from recognising its roots in fear, accepting one’s imperfections, and allowing flexibility and adaptability - freeing both the artist and their art.
Final Thoughts
Perfectionism in performing artists is widespread, partly because the very traits that help an artist excel—discipline, ambition, attention to detail—can be pushed beyond their healthy limits. When high standards are flexible and grounded in personal values, they can foster growth, skill, and artistic integrity. But when perfectionism becomes rigid and fear-driven—fuelled by anxiety about mistakes, rejection, or not meeting external expectations—it can erode confidence, strain relationships, and drain the joy from the work.
This mindset often narrows artistic risk-taking: performances become more about avoiding errors than about expression, connection, or discovery. Over time, the artist’s energy is spent on self-monitoring and self-criticism rather than deepening their craft.
Shifting from “I must be perfect” to “I aim to communicate, explore, and connect” is not a lowering of standards—it’s a reorientation toward the purpose of the work. By embracing imperfection as part of the creative process, artists can reclaim the freedom to take risks, to surprise themselves, and to sustain both their artistry and well-being over the long term.
Reading List
Grieshofer, J. (2022). Perfectionism in Performing Artists
Shafran, R., Cooper, Z., & Fairburn, C. G. (2002). Clinical perfectionism: A cognitive–behavioural analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40(7), 773–791.
Greenspon, T. S. (2014). Is there an antidote to perfectionism? Psychology in the Schools, 51(9), 986–998.
Flett, G. L., Hewitt, P. L., & Heisel, M. J. (2014). The destructiveness of perfectionism revisited: Implications for suicide prevention. Review of General Psychology, 18(3), 156–172.
Woody, R. H. (2015). Perfectionism: Benefit or Detriment to Performers? Psychology Today.
Bonelli, R. M. (2018). Perfectionismus: Wenn das Soll zum Muss wird. Vienna: edition a.
Author: Heather O’Donnell - psychologist, artistic-systemic therapist and founding director of TGR The Green Room