--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a perfectionist; there's always…" description: "\"I'm a perfectionist; there's always something we need to improve upon, and I think that's a really healthy model for artistic growth and progressing. I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/michael-angelakos-39196_art_i-m-a-perfectionist-there-s-always-somet_118266.jpg" --- # I'm a perfectionist; there's always something we need to… ![“I'm a perfectionist; there's always something we need to improve upon, and I think that's a really healthy model for artistic growth and progressing. I'm not ready for a masterpiece.” quote by Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/michael-angelakos-39196_art_i-m-a-perfectionist-there-s-always-somet_118266.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/michael-angelakos-39196_art_i-m-a-perfectionist-there-s-always-somet_118266.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/michael-angelakos-39196_art_i-m-a-perfectionist-there-s-always-somet_118266.jpg) > “I'm a perfectionist; there's always something we need to improve upon, and I think that's a really healthy model for artistic growth and progressing. I'm not ready for a masterpiece.” [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker acknowledges a perpetual drive for improvement, viewing perfectionism as a healthy engine for artistic evolution while recognizing that a final masterpiece may never be achieved. **In simple terms:** Perfectionism fuels ongoing artistic growth. Key Takeaway Continuous refinement beats static perfection. Themes creativity growth self‑critique art Mood reflective motivated Type creative self‑reflective When to use this quote - songwriting sessions - visual art practice - software development sprints Key Concepts process orientation learning mindset Practical Applications - set incremental goals - embrace iterative feedback Questions to Reflect On - How to balance healthy striving with self‑acceptance? - When does refinement become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Excessive perfectionism can cause burnout and stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Growth And Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth-and-progress/) [Masterpiece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masterpiece/) [Perfectionist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionist/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [ If I'm not playing well, I do get down on myself because I am a perfectionist. \[So I need\] someone who believes in me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/if-i-m-not-playing-well-i-do-get-down-on-myself-because-i-am-a/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [I'm more of a perfectionist. I need to be sure everything is exactly where I would want it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-krug/i-m-more-of-a-perfectionist-i-need-to-be-sure-everything-is-exactly/) [Spencer Krug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-krug/) > [I'm a bit of a perfectionist and sometimes need someone to tell me to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walker/i-m-a-bit-of-a-perfectionist-and-sometimes-need-someone-to-tell-me-to/) [Tom Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walker/) > [I'm a perfectionist. I need to be needed. I need to do things for a man. 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Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-l-moody/) > [As long as your intentions are solid and about growth and progression and being productive and not being idle, then you're doing good in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/as-long-as-your-intentions-are-solid-and-about-growth-and-progression/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) ## More by Michael Angelakos > [I hated the blog hype and how fast everything was happening. It didn't feel natural to me. But at the same time, what's more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/i-hated-the-blog-hype-and-how-fast-everything-was-happening-it-didn-t/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [I became really creative around the time I started understanding that people could be creative with music and that that was allowed. I stated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/i-became-really-creative-around-the-time-i-started-understanding-that/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [Music is one of the few things I'm relatively good at, one of the things I understand a little better than everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/music-is-one-of-the-few-things-i-m-relatively-good-at-one-of-the/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [I mean, I am a little different from the band in that I, I'm pretty much an isolated writer. I don't associate myself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/i-mean-i-am-a-little-different-from-the-band-in-that-i-i-m-pretty/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [I've told people that I don't see myself living very long. 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I think there are things that I think we overdid on the first record, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/i-think-there-are-things-that-need-changing-obviously-i-think-there/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [I don't think people talk about mental illness a lot, but they need to know it's OK to talk about how they are feeling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/i-don-t-think-people-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-but-they-need-to/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [The minute you feel like you've completed something you lose that momentum. I've learned how to avoid that. That's the bottom line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/the-minute-you-feel-like-you-ve-completed-something-you-lose-that/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [People think that since we're on a major label, all of a sudden everyone's telling us what to do and it's really not like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/people-think-that-since-we-re-on-a-major-label-all-of-a-sudden/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) [Explore all 11 Michael Angelakos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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