Why would I write an article where sincerity is a 'versus' with perfectionism?
Because I'm seeing a trend where the two are being conflated with one another amidst a new kind of noise.
And what runs the risk of being collateral damage in that conflation is an authentic artistic practice.
Let's discuss.
In the past 20+ years of working with creative professionals in multiple capacities, I’ve seen a pattern emerge and strengthen itself with surprising consistency.
Artists claiming to be “letting go of perfectionism” when, in reality, many might be quietly loosening their sincerity and dedication instead.
And dedication and perfectionism are not the same thing.
Not even close.
One is liberation.
The other, potentially avoidance dressed in spiritual/self-help jargon.
Root cause
The truth is, very few of us actually start developing perfectionistic tendencies because we’re 'egotistical' or 'controlling' from the onset.
Most of us do because somewhere along the line, it stopped feeling safe to be human.
A parent’s expectations, a teacher’s offhand remark, an environment that rewards a narrow bandwidth of “excellence,” ...or simply the ache of not feeling 'enough'.
Trivial on the surface. But malignant over time as they accumulate without dissolution.
These instances can shape how we show up. Or hide. And sometimes be the deciding factor between which of the two we choose.
They shape how we create.
For others, it is inflamed through unfortunate circumstances like dysfunctional pedagogy. In rooms where shame was confused for motivation, and fear for discipline.
Rooms where 'failure' eventually ended up equating 'danger'.
And for those who struggled to cope in these rooms without compassionate guidance, perfectionism became the substitute.
A survival mechanism.
“If I can control everything, maybe I won’t get it wrong.”
So let's be clear: when I talk about sincerity versus perfectionism, I'm not comparing virtues.
I'm trying to trace the emotional architecture behind how art gets made. And examine ways to protect the process from unnecessary misnomers.
Why We Confuse the Two
Perfectionism has earned a really bad reputation over the years-- to a point where almost anything can hide behind its shadow now.
Don’t want to practise?
“I’m trying not to be a perfectionist.”
Didn’t prepare for a gig?
“I’m learning to embrace imperfection.”
Uploaded something half-baked and called it “authentic”?
“It’s about being real.”
Now, to be fair, in a lot of cases, these could actually be legitimate proclamations. Which is why, with abstract language like this, the confusion is real.
Except it’s not.
And if we can learn to be a bit more honest with ourselves, we'll know why.
The 'how'
Sometimes “overcoming perfectionism” becomes a sophisticated escape from doing the real work.
This is where sincerity comes in.
The kind of sincerity that has nothing to do with flawlessness and everything to do with being accountable. To the craft, our community, and most importantly, ourselves. A muscle nobody can take away from you.
Perfectionism stems from fear.
Sincerity stems from devotion.
And those two, as any serious creative will tell you, lead to profoundly different experiences.
Perfectionistic Tendencies as a Clue.
If we approach this with sensitivity, perfectionism can become a clue rather than a flaw.
Perfectionism is rarely a 'creative' problem. It is a nervous system pattern.
To reiterate, for most of us, it is the residue of:
- Childhood environments where worthiness was conditional.
- Teachers who framed mistakes as moral shortcomings.
- Spaces where vulnerability was punished.
- Families or peers where excellence was currency.
- A complete absence of mentorship that led to self-surveillance becoming the default.
Perfectionism showed up not because we were too ambitious, but because something in us learned that being anything less than 'impeccable' could cost us belonging, safety, or dignity.
Once we see this clearly, our work, the dedication we invest in it, our sincerity becomes less of a performance metric and more of a healing practice.
What Sincerity Actually Means in Work
Sincerity is not sentimentality.
It’s not romantic suffering or a “vulnerable” caption on social media about how messy the process is.
Sincerity is:
- Showing up with the full presence you’re capable of today, regardless of how the day is going.
- Imagining the people who will receive your work and honouring them even if we doubt our assessment.
- Practising not for admiration, but because the craft deserves it.
- Being willing to examine the weaker parts of our skill set without diminishing our strengths.
- Aligning our actions with our values, not with insecurities.
In some psychological terms, sincerity is often closely linked to 'self-congruence': the alignment between what we say we value and what we actually do (Rogers, 1959).
The more this alignment grows, the more coherent and grounded the creative output.
So sincerity, my friend, is not about working harder.
It’s about working truer.
A Moment From the Stage: Where This Became Real
My concert on International Jazz Day in Tenerife this year.
It brought this entire conversation into sharp relief.
I had one of the most high-profile performances of my life: a completely solo set at the Auditorio de Tenerife, easily one of the most prestigious venues in Europe.
I arrived exhausted. Under the weather. Over-travelled.
My voice hovering at maybe 70 percent. Right after an intense 2-week residency in Osaka, Japan.
Living nomadically while being a recording artist, studio musician, educator, and entrepreneur means there are seasons where all the threads pull at once.
I had travelled long distances, juggled multiple professional hats, a work schedule between 7 time zones, and found myself with only fragments of energy left to prepare.
This was not a moment where perfectionism could save me. And one where (looking back), sincerity was my best shot at 'doing my job' the best I could.
My thirty years of practice routines, the ones built quietly over decades, not in glamorous studios but in cramped rooms, in transit, in borrowed spaces, were what came back to hold me.
Not by making me perfect. But by reminding me that devotion accumulates too. As do the skills grown through it.
In the heat of the moment, perfectionism would have broken me.
Sincerity steadied me.
The performance wasn’t 'flawless' (despite a standing ovation).
But it was honest.
And it had to be enough.
But I had to go onstage believing it to be.
This is the kind of difference I encourage my fellow creatives to instill in their bones.
Not the pressure to be perfect, but the grounding that comes from having been dedicated so long, that the work can carry us when our body and our mind are questioning their abilities.
What Perfectionism Actually Is (Spoiler: It’s Not “High Standards”)
Perfectionism, according to research (Frost et al., 1990; Hewitt & Flett, 1991), is fundamentally fear-based behaviour masquerading as ambition.
It is:
- A strategy for avoiding judgment.
- A refusal to be seen as human.
- A compulsive attachment to control.
- An attempt to secure self-worth through external outcomes.
Contrary to popular belief, high standards don’t drain creatives. They emerge naturally from commitment.
Perfectionism, on the other hand, drains creatives because it defines itself through external validation.
High standards expand possibilities.
Perfectionism erodes them.
Perfectionism erodes them.
High standards invite sincerity.
Perfectionism replaces that with self-surveillance.
Perfectionism replaces that with self-surveillance.
The Backdoor Problem: When “Letting Go” Becomes a Shortcut
In the current arts landscape, the mantra “done is better than perfect” has become gospel.
Useful, yes. But often misinterpreted.
Sometimes “done” is only “done” because we never allowed ourselves to go deep enough to begin with.
Sometimes the avoidance of perfectionism becomes the avoidance of responsibility.
Sometimes we call it “freedom” when it’s actually fatigue.
Sometimes we call it “authenticity” when it’s just speed.
Sometimes the avoidance of perfectionism becomes the avoidance of responsibility.
Sometimes we call it “freedom” when it’s actually fatigue.
Sometimes we call it “authenticity” when it’s just speed.
And especially now, in an era of content churn, AI shortcuts, algorithm anxieties, and the subtle erosion of artistic standards, sincerity could likely be the only real anchor we have left.
Sincerity creates what I call 'lineage'.
Perfectionism creates performative shortcuts.
Perfectionism creates performative shortcuts.
Sincerity builds a body of work.
Perfectionism is a subconscious but misguided attempt to build something vaguely similiar.
Perfectionism is a subconscious but misguided attempt to build something vaguely similiar.
The Question That Cuts Through
For my more advanced students or collaborators, a question I invite them to ponder is this:
“Did we give this work our best sincere attempt today, or our most convenient rationalisation?”
Cos here another thing sincerity demands that doesn't get talked about enough.
Courage.
It asks us to see the truth without collapsing under it.
It examines whether we could have been more present.
Checks if we skimmed instead of studying.
Makes sure we didn't hide behind a narrative because the alternative was vulnerability.
Checks if we skimmed instead of studying.
Makes sure we didn't hide behind a narrative because the alternative was vulnerability.
Sincerity asks for contact with reality.
Perfectionism tries to control it.
Perfectionism tries to control it.
What Sincere Work Looks Like (and What It Doesn’t)
A sincere attempt does not mean:
- The best performance of our lives.
- Flawless execution.
- Endless revisions.
- Heroic suffering.
- Mind-boggling talent.
A sincere attempt does mean:
- We honoured the practice.
- We didn’t betray our own standards
- We were honest about where we held back.
- We didn’t pass off avoidance as 'liberation'.
- We didn't let our past create our future.
Sincere work can be raw, unpolished, incomplete, even nonchalant. But never careless.
A subtle line, but an extraordinarily and deeply relevant one.
In the End, This Is About Integrity
Perfectionism is not the enemy.
Insincerity is.
Insincerity is.
Perfectionism is a misguided attempt at safety.
Insincerity is the abandonment of one’s own artistic soul.
Insincerity is the abandonment of one’s own artistic soul.
We can be imperfect and still be fully responsible.
We can be unfinished and still be deeply honourable.
We can be human and still be devoted.
We can be unfinished and still be deeply honourable.
We can be human and still be devoted.
And that, perhaps, is the quiet revolution the world needs right now:
Not 'more gloss.'
Not 'more convenience.'
Not 'more convenience.'
Not more narratives designed to justify shortcuts.
But the kind of sincerity that brings us back into right relationship with our craft.
And through that, with ourselves.
References
Frost, R. O., Marten, P. A., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research.
Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Rogers, C. R. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality, and interpersonal relationships. In S. Koch (Ed.), Psychology: A Study of a Science.
Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Rogers, C. R. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality, and interpersonal relationships. In S. Koch (Ed.), Psychology: A Study of a Science.
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