For years, I was trapped by a lie I didn’t even realize was holding me back. It kept me stuck in a cycle of frustration, self-doubt, and creative paralysis.
The lie I believed for years was simple: ‘My music has to be perfect (or at least, as good as it can be) before I can share it with anyone.’
It sounds harmless, right?
It sounded like good advice. After all, why wouldn’t you strive for perfection?
But in reality, this belief was suffocating my creativity. Instead of writing freely, I was obsessing over every note, second-guessing every decision.
I would delete ideas before they even had any chance of growing and developing. A large proportion of my tracks would not get finished and I would often come away from my music thinking “That was a waste of time”
I would obsess over small details — fiddling with EQs, searching for synth sounds, endlessly tweaking melodies — only to end up frustrated with the final product.
Every small change I made seemed to open the door to 10 more changes I needed to make. I had tonnes of unfinished demos and very few finished tracks.
You want it done in how long?
Then I started writing music for advertising. I would get a brief for some music a client was looking for and the delivery was almost always due in 2–6 hours.
I had to create a finished track in as little as 2 hours (sometimes even less). This could have meant that I became paralysed with indecision but this short deadline meant that I had to become decisive opting for a “done is better than perfect” mentality.
In that short time perfection isn’t the goal. The goal is “done and sent off”.
Yes sometimes it meant that I sent some tracks that were not as good as they could have been but what it meant was that I very quickly started to build a catalogue of finished tracks.
Once I let go of the need for perfection, everything changed. I stopped waiting for the ‘perfect idea’, and instead, I focused on creating with joy.
The more I embraced imperfection, the more I connected with my true creative voice.
Within months of adopting this new mindset, I had more finished tracks than I had in the previous year.
And here’s the kicker: the music was better.
It felt more alive and real because it was no longer held back by the weight of perfection. I was proud of my work — not because it was flawless, but because it was authentic.
3 tips to let go of “perfection”?
So, what can you do to stop letting perfectionism hold you back? Here are three steps I took that might help you too:
- Focus on progress, not perfection — Give yourself permission to create imperfect work and celebrate small wins.
- Finish what you start — Stop obsessing over details and learn to wrap up projects. A finished song is better than a perfect one.
- Share your work, even if it’s not ‘perfect’ — Don’t wait for validation. Share your music and connect with your audience authentically.
I can’t promise that letting go of perfectionism will instantly make you a ‘better’ musician, but I can promise that it will make the process a lot more enjoyable.
When you free yourself from the pressure of making everything perfect, you open up space for creativity, growth, and the kind of music that excites you. So, stop waiting for your music to be perfect — just let it be finished.
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