Art v. Science

The greatest enemy to creativity and productivity is neither mediocrity nor failure, but perfectionism.  In my own life, I've had my own struggles against perfectionism and will probably face a million more before it's over.  I try not to see this as discouraging, merely a statement of fact.

I think that most of my struggles in this area stem from my desire to make everything an exact science; to have a predetermined, guaranteed-to-succeed way of going about whatever it is that we happen to be discussing at the moment (relationships, money, careers, et. al.).

But that's not really how anything works.  Nothing is an exact science.  Most things worth doing in life are more like art: you start with a framework and build from there, knocking away the extraneous parts and reworking what needs it.  Value is created through a process of investment, not some inherent quality of the object itself.  I've seen artwork made from dixie cups that was more thought-provoking and better put together than some multi-million dollar buildings.

The desire for success being what it is, though, brings most of us to a place where we stop caring about the things that make a person creative or interesting and ask only how to make money.  While I don't happen to buy into the whole "pure art = destitute artist" idea, I definitely think there's something to be said for letting go of the belief that the metrics of success are dollars and cents.

This is where the Art v. Science idea kicks in.  If I change my view of success to be more (or, at least, different) than money, I'm giving up the tangible and measurable for something amorphous, conceptual, and less secure-feeling.  I have to have enough faith in my ideas to continue working at them in spite of not being certain of where I'll end up if I do (it's true: "they" might hate it and, by extension, you).  I have to have more dedication than discipline.  I need to do more than just know.

I can't say it's better to be an artist than a scientist, but I definitely know which one I prefer.  Do you?