--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clutter and mess show us that life is…" description: "\"Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived...Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation... Perfectionism is a mean, frozen f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/anne-lamott-188_animation_clutter-and-mess-show-us-that-life-is-be_1844005.png" --- # Clutter and mess show us that life is being… ![“Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived...Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation... Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist's true friend. What people somehow forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make…” quote by Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/anne-lamott-188_animation_clutter-and-mess-show-us-that-life-is-be_1844005.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/anne-lamott-188_animation_clutter-and-mess-show-us-that-life-is-be_1844005.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/anne-lamott-188_animation_clutter-and-mess-show-us-that-life-is-be_1844005.png) > “Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived...Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation... Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist's true friend. What people somehow forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here.” [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Messiness is essential for self‑discovery; order can stifle creativity and authentic growth. **In simple terms:** Messes help us learn who we are. Key Takeaway Embrace mess to discover yourself. Themes creativity self‑discovery imperfection growth Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - writing - home organization - childhood play - creative projects - personal reflection Key Concepts existentialism psychology artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What mess have you avoided that might reveal something about you? - How can you balance order and chaos? A Different Perspective Too much mess can become chaotic and hinder productivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animation/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Clutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clutter/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Frozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frozen/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mess/) [Mess Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mess-life-817516/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfectionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionism/) [Perfectionism Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionism-mean-2372883/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [True friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-friend/) [Who we are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-we-are/) [Why we are here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-we-are-here/) ## Related quotes > [Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/clutter-and-mess-show-us-that-life-is-being-lived/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist’s true friend. What people somehow (inadvertently, I’m sure) forgot to mention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-is-a-mean-frozen-form-of-idealism-while-messes-are-the-2/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist's true friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-is-a-mean-frozen-form-of-idealism-while-messes-are-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Your day’s work might turn out to have been a mess. So what? Vonnegut said, “When I write, I feel like an armless legless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-day-s-work-might-turn-out-to-have-been-a-mess-so-what-vonnegut/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [What people somehow forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-people-somehow-forgot-to-mention-when-we-were-children-was-that/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Perfectionism means that you try not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-means-that-you-try-not-to-leave-so-much-mess-to-clean/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Perfectionism means that you try desperately not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-means-that-you-try-desperately-not-to-leave-so-much/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-think-perfectionism-is-based-on-the-obsessive-belief-that-if-you-2/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-is-the-voice-of-the-oppressor/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-is-the-voice-of-the-oppressor-the-enemy-of-the-people-3/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor; the enemy of the people. It will keep you insane your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-is-the-voice-of-the-oppressor-the-enemy-of-the-people-2/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Oh, my God. What if you wake up some day, and you're 65 or 75, and you never got your novel or memoir written;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/oh-my-god-what-if-you-wake-up-some-day-and-you-re-65-or-75-and-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“...but you have to remind yourself that perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/but-you-have-to-remind-yourself-that-perfectionism-is-the-voice-of/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/perfectionism-is-the-voice-of-the-oppressor-the-enemy-of-the-people/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-think-perfectionism-is-based-on-the-obsessive-belief-that-if-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## More by Anne Lamott > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [It's funny where we look for salvation, and where we actually find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-s-funny-where-we-look-for-salvation-and-where-we-actually-find-it/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. 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Hope begins in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-heard-a-preacher-say-recently-that-hope-is-a-revolutionary-patience/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-think-perfectionism-is-based-on-the-obsessive-belief-that-if-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [All criticism hurts me. I'm so in the wrong business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-criticism-hurts-me-i-m-so-in-the-wrong-business/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [We are going to die, as is everyone we adore - I hate this! 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