--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Striving for perfection can get in the…" description: "\"“Striving for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process.”\" — David Kelley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/david-kelley-56229_creative-process_striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-w_1064443.jpg" --- # Striving for perfection can get in the way during the… ![“Striving for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process.” quote by David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/david-kelley-56229_creative-process_striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-w_1064443.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/david-kelley-56229_creative-process_striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-w_1064443.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/david-kelley-56229_creative-process_striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-w_1064443.jpg) > ““Striving for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process.”” [David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Striving for perfection early can hinder creativity, as it creates pressure and stifles the exploratory phase of creation. **In simple terms:** Perfectionism blocks early creativity. Key Takeaway Embrace imperfection in early stages. Themes creativity perfectionism process Mood cautious thoughtful Type creative advice When to use this quote - art - writing - product development - innovation Key Concepts design thinking psychology Questions to Reflect On - When does perfectionism help vs. hinder? - How can you balance quality and exploration? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) [Striving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/striving/) [Striving for perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/striving-for-perfection/) ## Related quotes > [I tend to get caught up in striving for perfection and not so much the accepting excellence part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-tend-to-get-caught-up-in-striving-for-perfection-and-not-so-much/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) > [Learn the difference between striving for excellence and striving for perfection. The first is attainable; the second is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-merrill/learn-the-difference-between-striving-for-excellence-and-striving-for/) [Douglas Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-merrill/) > [It's been years that I'm striving for perfection but I found out I can't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-chatto/it-s-been-years-that-i-m-striving-for-perfection-but-i-found-out-i/) [Cath Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-chatto/) > [Striving for excellence is a positive quality. Striving for perfection is self-defeating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/striving-for-excellence-is-a-positive-quality-striving-for-perfection/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [Don't waste your time striving for perfection; instead, strive for excellence - doing your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-olivier/don-t-waste-your-time-striving-for-perfection-instead-strive-for/) [Laurence Olivier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-olivier/) > [There is no such thing as the perfect picture. That's the challenge of photography. I was always striving for perfection, even though I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-stern/there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-perfect-picture-that-s-the-challenge-of/) [Phil Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-stern/) > [I always had the sense that nothing was never good enough - striving for perfection. My mother and I had a sort of typical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-hamill/i-always-had-the-sense-that-nothing-was-never-good-enough-striving/) [Dorothy Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-hamill/) > [Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. You'll be afraid you can't achieve it. It's your excuse to yourself for not doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-olivier/striving-for-perfection-is-the-greatest-stopper-there-is-you-ll-be/) [Laurence Olivier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-olivier/) > [There's no such thing as Perfection. But, in striving for perfection, we can achieve excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfection-but-in-striving-for-perfection-we/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [Consciously or unconsciously, we are all striving for perfection. Every being must attain to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/consciously-or-unconsciously-we-are-all-striving-for-perfection-every/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“Striving for perfection is wasteful if excellence is good enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/striving-for-perfection-is-wasteful-if-excellence-is-good-enough/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“We must have the courage to be imperfect while striving for perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-t-holland/we-must-have-the-courage-to-be-imperfect-while-striving-for-perfection/) [Patricia T. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-t-holland/) > [I probably do have an obsessive personality, but striving for perfection has served me well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/i-probably-do-have-an-obsessive-personality-but-striving-for/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [It says no one is perfect. BUT I find it V mst eep striving for perfection becoz somewhere thru the journey V achieved excellence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nickz/it-says-no-one-is-perfect-but-i-find-it-v-mst-eep-striving-for/) Nickz > [We are beautifully imperfect beings, operating in a very imperfect world, and that is just the way it is meant to be. Striving for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/we-are-beautifully-imperfect-beings-operating-in-a-very-imperfect/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) ## More by David Kelley > [“It is out of character for a country that prides itself on intellectual freedom to put the education of its young in the hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/it-is-out-of-character-for-a-country-that-prides-itself-on/) [David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) > [“Belief in your creative capacity lies at the heart of innovation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/belief-in-your-creative-capacity-lies-at-the-heart-of-innovation/) [David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) > [“Consciously or not, we feel and internalize what the space tells us about how to work. When you walk into most offices, the space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/consciously-or-not-we-feel-and-internalize-what-the-space-tells-us/) [David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) > [“Failure sucks, but instructs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/failure-sucks-but-instructs/) [David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) > [“there’s no word in the Tibetan language for “creativity” or “being creative.” The closest translation is “natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/there-s-no-word-in-the-tibetan-language-for-creativity-or-being/) [David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) [Explore all 6 David Kelley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) ## More Creative process quotes > [Teasing out the way the world might look through another's eyes is what makes the creative process so fascinating and enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/teasing-out-the-way-the-world-might-look-through-another-s-eyes-is/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Any creative process is about being in a territory which isn't secure, isn't necessarily familiar, and isn't convenient in any sort of way. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/any-creative-process-is-about-being-in-a-territory-which-isn-t-secure/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [ “\[A\]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/a-lways-get-to-the-dialogue-as-soon-as-possible-i-always-feel-the/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Use the creative process - singing, writing, art, dance, whatever - to get to know yourself better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catie-curtis/use-the-creative-process-singing-writing-art-dance-whatever-to-get-to/) [Catie Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catie-curtis/) > [Fear is a killer, when it comes to the creative process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-baldwin/fear-is-a-killer-when-it-comes-to-the-creative-process/) [Adam Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-baldwin/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. It is about trying to establish a sense of boundaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/the-impresario-function-is-about-intervening-with-the-company-s-more/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [“I’m a big believer in cooking your own meals. It makes it much easier not only to ensure that you eat fresh foods but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ori-hofmekler/i-m-a-big-believer-in-cooking-your-own-meals-it-makes-it-much-easier/) [Ori Hofmekler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ori-hofmekler/) > [I think what holds people up in creative processes is the expectation of what it is they're doing. It's also the sense of judgement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-hegarty/i-think-what-holds-people-up-in-creative-processes-is-the-expectation/) [Antony Hegarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-hegarty/) > [There just is exponentially more money in the movie business than in the music business. As a result there are more people involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-duritz/there-just-is-exponentially-more-money-in-the-movie-business-than-in/) [Adam Duritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-duritz/) > [“The sooner you finish procrastinating, the sooner you can get back to your art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lennox/the-sooner-you-finish-procrastinating-the-sooner-you-can-get-back-to/) [Stephanie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lennox/) > [Well, I do expect a lot of myself. I'm a harsh critic because I know what I'm capable of. I have hit those occasional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-stevens/well-i-do-expect-a-lot-of-myself-i-m-a-harsh-critic-because-i-know/) Dave Stevens > [With music I get to feel real ownership with what I do. I write it, I perform it and even if it is crap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/with-music-i-get-to-feel-real-ownership-with-what-i-do-i-write-it-i/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-creative-act-is-not-performed-by-the-artist-alone-the-spectator/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [It is not enough to have a talented designer; the management must be inspired too. The creative process is very disorganised; the production process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-arnault/it-is-not-enough-to-have-a-talented-designer-the-management-must-be/) [Bernard Arnault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-arnault/) [Browse all 691 Creative process quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Striving for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Kelley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-way-during-the-early-stages-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creative process" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-way-during-the-early-stages-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/david-kelley-56229_creative-process_striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-w_1064443.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/david-kelley-56229_creative-process_striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-w_1064443.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/david-kelley-56229_creative-process_striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-w_1064443.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Striving for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process.” — David Kelley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Kelley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Striving for perfection can get in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-way-during-the-early-stages-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-way-during-the-early-stages-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```