--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The San Francisco therapist kept telling…" description: "\"“The San Francisco therapist kept telling me I shouldn’t be terrified of creative experimentation. “I don’t know what’s going to come out of me,” I tol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/suzanne-rivecca-280835_art_the-san-francisco-therapist-kept-telling_2447966.jpg" --- # The San Francisco therapist kept telling me I shouldn’t be… ![“The San Francisco therapist kept telling me I shouldn’t be terrified of creative experimentation. “I don’t know what’s going to come out of me,” I told her. “It has to be perfect. It has to be irreproachable in every way.” “Why?” she said. “To make up for it,” I said. “To make up for the fact that…” quote by Suzanne Rivecca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/suzanne-rivecca-280835_art_the-san-francisco-therapist-kept-telling_2447966.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/suzanne-rivecca-280835_art_the-san-francisco-therapist-kept-telling_2447966.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/suzanne-rivecca-280835_art_the-san-francisco-therapist-kept-telling_2447966.jpg) > ““The San Francisco therapist kept telling me I shouldn’t be terrified of creative experimentation. “I don’t know what’s going to come out of me,” I told her. “It has to be perfect. It has to be irreproachable in every way.” “Why?” she said. “To make up for it,” I said. “To make up for the fact that it’s me.”” [Suzanne Rivecca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-rivecca/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear of imperfection drives creative paralysis, seeking perfection to compensate for self-doubt. **In simple terms:** Perfectionism blocks creativity. Key Takeaway Embrace imperfect attempts. Themes Art Creativity Self‑doubt Therapy Writing Mood anxious reflective motivational Type Art:1 Creativity:1 Experimentation:1 San francisco:0 Therapist:1 Writing:1 Terrified Creative:1 Francisco Therapist:0 Therapist Kept:0 Shouldn Terrified:0 When to use this quote - Therapy session - Writing workshop - Personal journaling - Artistic practice Key Concepts Impostor syndrome Perfectionism Creative risk Questions to Reflect On - How does perfectionism protect you? - What small imperfect step could you try? A Different Perspective Perfection is unattainable, and fear may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Experimentation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experimentation/) [Francisco Therapist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/francisco-therapist-544886/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) [Shouldn Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shouldn-terrified-544888/) [Terrified Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified-creative-544885/) [Therapist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapist/) [Therapist Kept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapist-kept-544887/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“He smiled. A sub shouldn’t be terrified, but a little anxiety was good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-sinclair/he-smiled-a-sub-shouldn-t-be-terrified-but-a-little-anxiety-was-good/) [Cherise Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-sinclair/) > [There is no such thing as a failed experiment, only experiments with unexpected outcomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-failed-experiment-only-experiments-with/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [“By means of personal experimentation and observation, we can discover certain simple and universal truths. The mind moves the body, and the body follows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-means-of-personal-experimentation-and-observation-we-can-discover/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think in times of fear and hysteria in a culture, gender experimentation as it pertains to men has to go underground because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/i-think-in-times-of-fear-and-hysteria-in-a-culture-gender/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [I tend more towards what some people call literary science fiction, but what I mean by that is that it is full of interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-tend-more-towards-what-some-people-call-literary-science-fiction/) [Edward Einhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-einhorn/) > [There would seem to be a limit, even for an art preoccupied with boundaries and transgressions, beyond which a work reaches its breaking point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ferneyhough/there-would-seem-to-be-a-limit-even-for-an-art-preoccupied-with/) [Brian Ferneyhough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ferneyhough/) > [You still want to be thoughtful about what you do, no doubt, but you have to learn through trial-and-error experimentation as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/you-still-want-to-be-thoughtful-about-what-you-do-no-doubt-but-you/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [I believe that 20-somethings would be more likely to embrace experimentation - and provide additional value - if they felt safe to do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-engelbert/i-believe-that-20-somethings-would-be-more-likely-to-embrace/) [Cathy Engelbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-engelbert/) > [Many, many people have done a lot more sexual experimentation than I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/many-many-people-have-done-a-lot-more-sexual-experimentation-than-i/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [America was born of revolt, flourished in dissent, became great through experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/america-was-born-of-revolt-flourished-in-dissent-became-great-through/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them… for really new ideas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/cities-need-old-buildings-so-badly-it-is-probably-impossible-for/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [As a child there was no place for adventure or experimentation. I guess that kind of freedom started in high school with punk rock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcnairy/as-a-child-there-was-no-place-for-adventure-or-experimentation-i/) [Mark McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcnairy/) > [“Play and experimentation loosens our grip on life and allows for more chance luck to surprise us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hyde-stevens/play-and-experimentation-loosens-our-grip-on-life-and-allows-for-more/) [Elizabeth Hyde Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hyde-stevens/) > [“There is a time and place for electromagnetic shielding and I regard it as a last resort due to the long term biological problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-is-a-time-and-place-for-electromagnetic-shielding-and-i-regard/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The amateur doesn't appreciate the need for experimentation. He wants his experts to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner-2/the-amateur-doesn-t-appreciate-the-need-for-experimentation-he-wants/) [B.F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner-2/) ## 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. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The San Francisco therapist kept telling me I shouldn’t be terrified of creative experimentation. “I don’t know what’s going to come out of me,” I told her. “It has to be perfect. 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