A degree of self-critisism is not only natural but also necessary, evaluating how you could do better and pushing your comfort zone to create and perform the very best you can. But many artists struggle with a high lever of self criticism to the point where it becomes a hinderence. This is definitely something I have found very difficult and at times hard to move away from. I have always been self-critical but the process of writing the EP I saw that it has more influence than I thought.
I don’t like to call it perfectionism because it implies that I think something can be perfect. I don’t. But I want it to be the very best it can be, and often feel that it isn’t. I also recognise that my idea of ‘the best it can be’ is sometimes unrealistic-so whether I call myself a perfectionist or not, the result is the same.
This was most evident when I was trying to record the songs myself and I’d pick everything apart until it became unconstructive. Since I’ve never had piano lessons and have only really just picked up the guitar, I can’t expect it to sound like someone who has been playing for years and who has great ability. And furthermore I would never judge another artist who plays their own songs without being a great instrumentalist-in fact it often adds to the vibe and authenticity of the song and performance. So why can’t I cut myself some slack? Well, I’m working on it!
