Perfectionism in Space

So as you know, perfectionism and the way it can stop you in your cold, dead tracks (did I just mix metaphors or invent a new one?) has been on my mind.

Then today I came across this post on IttyBiz which basically nails what I in my meandering way have been trying to get across. The topic is starting an online business (something else I’ve been edging towards in my sidelong fashion), but it is equally applicable to creating a solo performance, making art with a group of people, marketing your work… basically any activity you might do, alone or with others. Well almost any activity. Let’s keep this clean, people.

I love this section:

Let me put this another way: In my experience, if you want to do business online, you’re going to have to be willing to do your thing to the best of your ability even if it doesn’t feel like you’ve defined yourself and your value proposition and your website perfectly enough yet. You’re going to have to accept that the way you’re doing things in six months may well be totally different from the way you’re doing them now. You’ll need to realize that just because you’re writing about how much you love explosive pies today, you may be organizing courses to train explosive pie disposal units in half a year. That has to be okay with you. You have to go with your gut, and go where the market seems to be taking you. You have to let your voice and your method of operation evolve with time.

This really gets to the heart of the quandary: what I’m working on is always far from “done” but I have to put it out there sometime. Ready or not. And I have to be okay with what people say, knowing that they will be legitimate to criticize it for not being fully realized. And in fact, that is the only way it can grow into its strongest, fullest form – by putting it out there. Before it’s perfect. Because if you wait until it’s perfect, you’ve waited too long.

This is the course Hand2Mouth has always followed, and that I have followed as a solo performer. It’s how I’ve learned everything that really matters as a performer and creator and (god help me) marketer. But it’s still hard to do, and hard to articulate.

God, speaking of marketing – I have such a love / hate relationship with it.

I’m trying to think of “marketing” as another creative outlet, a positive thing, an HONEST thing. On the love side I’ve got this and this and this to back me up. On the hate side: this (more on that here).

Maybe I should follow Havi’s lead and come up with a new term for the m-word (she calls it biggification) so I don’t feel like a sleazeball who’s trying to autohypnotize people.

Could I call it creative describing? That’s a terrible name. Creative telling?

What it comes down to is: telling people what you do in a way that condenses it and gets the feeling across. Right? Especially important for H2M since we can’t invite everyone to just come to a rehearsal and watch how we work (not that we haven’t tried), and there aren’t too many influences we can link ourselves to that people instantly recognize (saying our influences are Forced Entertainment, the Wooster Group, Teatr Usta Usta and Radiohole often leads to neverending explanation which is not the best way to communicate excitement and adventure). (not to be confused with The Neverending Story which IS the best way to communicate excitement and adventure).

How about creative space & time travel? Hello, I am the director of creative space & time travel. No, it’s too bulky. Creative communication? Well that kind of says it, doesn’t it? I’d still like to work space and time in there somehow though. Creative interdimensional communication?

Oh, as you may have guessed I’m in the midst of “creatively communicating” the new work-in-progress H2M show, Uncanny Valley (talk about being comfortable putting your work out there in an unfinished state). That probably explains why I want to work time & space into my marketing. The number one thing this show has taught me is that any concept, any theory, any activity of any kind, is VASTLY improved upon when launched into space.

Well. As often happens I’ve gotten off track. I’ll have more later on the many angles of perfectionism. And space. And creative interdimensional communication. And possibly my neglected little business plan.