Hello, my name is Lucy Claire Curran, and welcome to the Crayon and the Pen, my video blog and resource for people who want to have more fun with their work.

I am trying something today because I realized I was putting off creating video content because my usual perfectionism was getting in the way. I wanted to make sure it was just right, I wanted to nail down exactly what I was going to say, I wanted to hone my message, and I realized that the perfect topic for an installment of my video blog was perfectionism and how to really let it go when it’s getting in the way. I think there’s a place for polishing. I think there’s a place for attention to detail. Of course, it’s always part of the whole and, if you’re like me, you have sometimes let perfectionism stop you from even starting, from risking beginning a project that’s really important to you because it has to be perfect before you start.

If this resonates for you, I am showing up today in my pajamas and having slept on my hair kind of funny, and this is just challenging that tendency in myself in hopes of giving myself permission to move forward, and also to open up space for other people who struggle with perfectionism because it’s not that it’s bad to care about producing quality work, but I think that when the fear of failure keeps us stuck in our tracks that it keeps important work from being born into the world.

Here in my pajamas, in my space, in San Francisco, I am coming to you in my imperfection and inviting you to show up in your life, even if it’s just in a small way today, or in the next couple of days, a little bit more bravely, showing yourself with all of your humanness, and possibly you will open up space for others to do the same as well.

Thank you for joining me today. Again, my name is Lucy Claire Curran. I’m a writer, artist and coach in San Francisco, California and, until next time, be brave and make space for yourself and others to be their imperfect human selves.