Is PERFECTIONISM a form of COWARDICE?
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
- Perfection vs. good enough.
Join our PATREON to support the channel and gain access to Early-Release Videos, Exclusive Director’s Commentaries, Q&A Livestreams, Peer Discussions, Limited Edition Zines and Patron-Only Videos: / spiritedman
Ari's Instagram: / slow_woodshop
Ari's CZcams channel: / @slowwoodshop
0:00 The Spirited Man Patreon
0:16 Intro
0:50 Messages from my patrons
1:37 Golden Post-it Note: Perfectionism
3:07 Standard of excellence vs. good enough
5:58 What makes me a good enough artist
6:59 An ode to Wes Anderson
7:59 The reward of the good enough artist
9:57 The quality spectrum
10:15 Gift from a patron
11:47 The two routes to excellence
13:44 Aristotle's clue to perfection
15:09 Join The Spirited Man Patreon
🦺 SPIRITED MAN MERCH:
T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Hats - spiritedman.com
📹 GREATEST HITS:
VAN NEISTAT: The Spirited Man - • VAN NEISTAT: The Spiri...
VAN NEISTAT: Fantasy Fixing - • VAN NEISTAT: Fantasy F...
2 things to know about women - • 2 things to know about...
We Are In A "FOURTH TURNING," What Does That Mean? - • We Are In A "FOURTH TU...
The Reality of Owning A Vintage Truck - • The Reality of Owning ...
Why Do Details Matter? - • Why Do Details Matter?
📚 READING LIST:
Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford - amzn.to/3ipz4br
The Fourth Turning by Neil Howe, William Strauss - amzn.to/37J9FYn
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell - amzn.to/3ik8Hnm
The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt - amzn.to/3qcTUzl
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut - amzn.to/3ImOHLw
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson - amzn.to/3qjYGLw
Collected Essays by James Baldwin - amzn.to/3qgYInm
The Outlaw Bible of American Literature by Alan Kaufman - amzn.to/3N64stJ
What Is Art? by Leo Tolstoy - amzn.to/3u2fqI8
🎥 FILMMAKING GEAR:
Canon 1DX - amzn.to/3MYfq4J
Wide Lens - amzn.to/3Jqiy6W
Macro Lens - amzn.to/37BnQyt
GoPro 10 - amzn.to/3u7O9nC
RODECaster - amzn.to/3iocSOU
Shure SM7B Microphone - amzn.to/3u9yOD1
DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone - amzn.to/3KVd8kN
🧰 ESSENTIAL TOOLS:
Swiss Champ - amzn.to/36b1vrl
Leatherman - amzn.to/3Ilb04b
Pentel 0.9mm - amzn.to/3Io5TQX
Sledgehammer - amzn.to/3Io5UV1
Vice-grip - amzn.to/3qiuccx
Follow Van Neistat
📷 Instagram - / vanneistat
Would you like to advertise with us, direct business inquiries to: blewis@spacestation.com
ABOUT THE SPIRITED MAN:
The Spirited Man is an unlimited series about the spirited man or woman who lives inside all of us (and fixing things).
ABOUT VAN NEISTAT:
A pioneer in digital filmmaking, Van Neistat made his first internet video, The Holland Tunnel, in 2000. He went on to collaborate with New York City artist Tom Sachs, directing a series of short films shown at the Guggenheim Museum in Berlin. Van has since directed dozens more films for the Tom Sachs Studio. In 2010 HBO aired The Neistat Brothers, an 8-episode series of short videos made entirely by Van and his brother Casey Neistat. Van Neistat’s directorial debut feature, A SPACE PROGRAM, co-written by Tom Sachs, premiered at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival and opened in theaters nation-wide in spring, 2016. In 2018 Neistat Directed the short film Paradox Bullets, co-written with Tom Sachs, narrated by Werner Herzog, and starring Ed Rushca. Neistat has written and directed commercial projects for Nike, Hurley, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, J. Crew, Twitter, Sleepy Jones and Frances Valentine. His work has been exhibited in museums throughout the world. He lives in Topanga, California.
Disclaimer: If you use any of the affiliate links above, we may earn a few cents from qualifying purchases.
#VanNeistat #TheSpiritedMan #Filmmaking
Spectacular video. Honored to be a part of it
your furniture is beautiful, a well-deserved spotlight!
been waiting for Van’s response video ever since you posted the build over 8 months ago!
Dude your content is phenomenal, great film work, great wood work, keep after it man🤘🏻🤘🏻
Ari, your work is incredible
Nice work. I swear Van's is one of the only non-builder channels I watch! LOL Glad he included you in this one.
Van may not read the comments, but I do and I walk around behind him reading him my favorites 🥰
Thank you Isabel. And congratulations on another little letter of the alphabet.
Love that ☺
thank you! van's content seems so far removed from other creators and I love him for that
Thank you for doing that ,because I was disappointed when he said he never reads any of the comments on here 😅 I’m not a patrion guy but I whole heartedly enjoy watching these videos they fill up my soul
"Perfectionism is procrastination masquerading as quality control" - Steven Barnes
Great Lombardi quote! My favorite of his is, “The man at the top of a mountain didn’t fall there.”
I remember Casey doing a video about perfectionism. I often mention this quote: "Don't strive for perfection, strive for good enough" which is something I have always remembered. This video is a great detailed explanation on that.
I would recommend the book "The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control" to anyone who identifies as a perfectionist, and honestly to those who don't. Because you might just find out you are a perfectionist. Turns out there are different types of perfectionism, and what we usually talk about when we say perfectionism is just the classic perfectionist. There are 4 more types with quite different characteristics. It also gives a different look at perfectionism. It doesn't see it as a disease you need to get yourself rid of. It's just a characteristic that you live with and you can choose if you'll use it to help you in life or to make you miserable.
I will be checking this out! Thank you for sharing!
the imperfections of your work make it excellent to me, literally
Exceptionally well placed synth swells in this one. Always love the signature sound, but this one seemed like great placement and tone. As always, super enjoyable.
One of my favorite videos you've made. It makes you contemplate what you are , what you strive to be.
cool video
Love it. Nobody makes their magnum opus first time out of the gate, you first need a "body of work" and to do that, you just have to get up and make something, rinse, repeat, and eventually you'll create perfection.
Most people get "crop-locked" into immotion, calculating all the ways they could fail, instead of making something and risking the failing part.
Van, that’s why I love and respect your vision and craft so much. You do not focus on perfection but rather the process and the value you gain from it. As artists its always in our heads that we may not be “good enough,” but you’re the perfect example of “just start now, just do it, just go with the creative flow.” The rewards will soon follow❤
Your music gives the video such an awesome vibe, it gives me such a 80's vibe every time I watch.
Excellent and perfect. A video that everyone should watch. Thank you, Van.
I like your content very much. I actually found the Spirited Man -channel after watching the video of Arri making the gift for you! And i´m a bit amazed that it has made a full circle now, since the video of him making it was uploaded 8 months ago... since then i´ve watched almost every video you have uploaded here, plus Casey´s and Tom Sachs´ work too, thank you!
Needed this. Thank you
I love the research you do and the golden nuggets you drop. So pleasurable watching this.
did you miss the part where he said "I don't read my youtube comments." ;)
@BrinkHouse Fully aware. Comments help his channel. Isabelle sometimes reads them.
another extremely good video, Van. Thank you
Your "good enough" ethos is what makes you so relatable, so human, so spirited. You don't shy away from your mistakes or flaws. You own them and that too is relatable. A perfectionist may hide from their flaws, you do not and that is a sign of excellence.
Excellent video. Always entertaining. Always informative. Always art.
This is insightful. In my particular case, perfection is often the result of cowardice, although I appreciate the balanced treatment of the topic in a broader context. Van’s and Tom’s work has helped me in this respect by revealing the beauty of the specific.
I apply this mantra to DIY home-renovations: 1) Take the path of least resistance, and 2) Stop when it’s good enough. Follow these rules and you will maintain sanity.
My dad was a painter for close to 30 years, like house and industrial painting. One of the first things he taught me as a kid was that messing with the paint, trying to "fix" or perfect it, will more often than not backfire and leave you with a mess. Apply it the best you can the first time and with good prep work and go from there.
Love this. Gonna apply it to bookkeeping.
As someone who makes stuff I've been trying to wrap my mind around this trifecta from the beginning. This exactly what I thought and its so nice to hear to from someone I respect.
The benefit from your videos meets my criteria of excellence.
Excellent video. The one foundational point I take issue with is the notion that the consumer/viewer is the ultimate judge of the quality of a piece. Creativity for the sake of consumption is commerce. Creativity for the sake of creativity is ART! IMHO, the artist/creator is the sole arbiter of what is good, good enough, excellent, or perfect.
Or so it seems to me.
truly amazing work here
You're an excellent writer. I love how you intertwine the different stories. Something Casey does well too.
I really needed to see this video.
Dude, videos like this one and the tardiness video are an unexpected pleasure. Thank you for waxing philosophic
Im building a cabinet as this came up. It’s not perfect but I’m the only one who knows where the mistakes are.
I love that! I'll say that to myself next time I'm recording a song - only I know where the mistakes are.
this comment is for Isabel since she reads these - and I dont where to post on the patreon so Van Reads them - I have been subscribed for over a year now! Saw this when it came out - it inspired me then - it inspires me more now - we all need to strive for Good enough! also I really want that Krusty sticker!
One of your best!
Thanks for sharing it. ✌️
I have a few "half-done" or "imperfect" pieces of art in my home that I just decided to hang up on my walls anyway because I was losing motivation to complete the 'perfect' product. In the end, the imperfections are what I love the most about them and it's not like I can never go back and do more should the inspiration hit in the future. The stress of making something perfect was holding me back.
As I was growing up my parents made my brother and I memorize a very similar version of that saying..."If you have a job to do, never leave it till it's through. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all." The slight variation in this saying might be the reason for my lifelong battle with perfectionism. There is a fear of not being able to provide a "perfect" product which keeps one from finishing, or even starting, some projects. This is the tormented, vicious cycle of the perfectionist.
Doing weekly videos this year and it instantly pushed me into the good enough mindset after the first week hahaha, CZcams's all about good enough :)
Consistently hitting the mark of “good enough” is also perfection. Rock on Van.
oh my goodness i love wes anderson everything is perfect every shot is just great
Hi Van - You have significantly improved my life, that is all.
👏 well said! Too often perfection becomes procrastination - something is better than nothing
For those wondering if Van’s Patreon is worth it - Yeah, it definitely is 👍🏻
Imperfection fuels evolution. If the universe were perfect, we would cease to exist. Another inspiring video again!
Excellent video
Love it.
Great video
Yeah, this is solid. Very inspired.
Excellent Advice. Good enough video
words of wisdom!
I think you should make a video on how you fell about Casey's success versus your own. Obviously, you helped inspire your younger brother. Who would not want to see their brother succeed. But I think this is a great story to be told. IMO...you both have stayed true to yourselves since the Neistat Brothers on HBO.
Last 2 videos are a wonderful stride
Nice work, I agree 100% with your work ethic when it comes to creating items for myself, I have the same philosophy. Good enough is all you need. I prefer to spend my time with my wife and kids. However when it concerns work. As a Product designer, I'm expected to bring the best results given the budget and time. Guess which one i prefer to be?
This is great
1. I'm so not surprised he's a big fan of Wes Anderson. There is a visceral pleasure in the way he places objects within the camera frame, which feels very different from-but aesthetically connected to-Mr. Anderson's style.
2. He did such a good job showcasing excellence that I'm even more motivated now to pursue excellence rather than good enough.
3. I changed the above from second person to third person, remembering that he doesn't read these!
This was an extremely good video
UPDATE: Love it. I'm sharing this tomorrow. Already shared too much today.
WES ANDERSON! Making a faux cameo! (I'm only 2:00 in - back to it.)
This guy speaking about being good enough while I think every single video of his is a master piece
Everyone sees things differently
My old photojournalism mentor used to say to me “Perfection is the enemy of efficiency” and he was totally right.
“Art is the expression of man’s pleasure in labor” -William Morris
Your excellence is your consistency.
The hand written text is looking so crisp in this
look at his mic stand...what a legend of imperfection :)
That graph showing excellence in the middle just changed me haha 😅 never realized you can reach excellence before perfection
Deadlines are the antidote to perfectionism
true, but it's hard to gibe yourself a deadline on a project that has no real consequences if you don't finish it
Extremely good video today!
Theres a quote from somewhere which is, everything that deserves to be done, deserves to be done badly. I'm bad at a lot of things, but I'm better then the person whose never tried.
Love that
I think this video is so nice, I wish that I could like it twice. Like Log your gift was made of wood, and much better than bad, it was extremely good.
I like your microphone.. you are a great creator
Is there a video somewhere, where van shows how he creates his videos? Script/Filming set up/ color grading/ editing etc…?
"I never read the comments on my videos"
That actually explains so much.
Love❤
No you are an excellent human and a talented artist !
I'm not sure where this quote came from but I think I heard it from Adam Savage --- "PERFECT is the ENEMY of DONE" Since I heard this, I have had a sticky note with it on my monitor. Before I followed this philosophy... I was the arrogant coward that this episode is about. Following this philosophy has allowed me to embrace the satisfaction of completion instead of so called perfection. A job done perfectly but never completed is worse, to me, than not doing it at all. Thank you for articulating this about perfectionism to keep the pursuit in perspective.
I feel like you zoned in on Tom sachs genius of storing and organizing his materials. I’m more interested in the tools and work space created while making art, then the actual art itself
I've been thinking about this tension between perfection (the ideal) and what is possible (the practical) on and off for as long as I can remember. As I type, my year and a half old son is screeching as he struggles to maintain the alignment of one of his hot wheels cars which he has arranged in a line on a couch cushion. I'm thinking, "OK, perfectionist tendencies, here we go... gotta nip that in the bud quickly." But now I'm thinking there is an innate aspect to perfection. We long for the ideal and we struggle to settle for "good enough" or even "excellent". We say all sorts of things to justify "good enough" in the face of perfection. But there is context. If he could understand, I would tell my son, given the couch cushion, he can only expect his hot wheels to line up so well. On a flat surface, expectations could change.
Given Van's objectives, time constraints, and available skills and tools, I think most people would say there is perfection in the things he does. So, maybe instead of good enough, I'd say, perfect for now.
Van i love your videos
Mega Video ❤
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
Van is becoming my favorite philosopher
I think perfection is sometimes in the imperfection. In my opinion this video was at the very least, excellent!
I'm in the business of building residential "outdoor living spaces" for folks who have way too much money. I struggle with perfection myself. We call it degrees of perfection. My ideal perfection level is often much higher than we can output with the materials, time, or money given. If it looks perfect to me then it is, and if it looks perfect to the landscape architect then it is, and if it looks perfect to the customer than it is. Those are three levels with the customers being the "least perfect" to me, but it's the only one that really matters. We always strive for our perfection, but sometimes settle for the customers perfection.
It was totally worth the punchline at the end.
For creatives, I think a helpful takeaway from this is that even Wes Anderson, for all the work, the budget, the specialisation, the team around him, the name recognition, the popularity, the years of making films…still, still someone doesn’t like/enjoy/appreciate his films, his work. In this case one of the Neistat brothers.
Arguably Wes Anderson is in amongst the top 1%. And even he can’t please everyone. Let us not wait anymore. Just make. Someone almost for sure will dislike it. It’s a probable fact. Adding one more “hater”, one more critic, one more unsavoury troll isn’t going to make a difference. Add 10 more, a hundred more, a thousand more..it doesn’t make a difference. We can’t perfectly please them all.
Just make. Make the best work we can, we know we can, we know how to. Just make.
Make it “perfect” if that’s the only way we’ll make and ship the work; knowing we’ll never make perfectly perfect. Make it “good enough” if that’s the way we need to release the pressure.
Let us just support ourselves; put an arm around the shoulder of that tiny voice inside us like a loving parent would - “ Go on kid. You got this. You’re alright. Go explore and have fun..”
I had a very hard and loud laugh at 3:10 when Van put "*perfection" on the screen to correct himself saying "perfectionism".
Excellent points. I wish more of us humans appreciated the concept of "enough". However, I'm hoping that future makers of the space Challenger become perfectionists when tightening bolts. I'm hoping my surgeon's "good enough" is, in fact, good enough to keep me going. I ditched the concept of "perfection" when I learned that it is subjective and depends on who you ask. 😢
Van's good-enough channel is about as close to perfection as we're gonna see, and saying so isn't cowardice!
Amen
Van’s wife (bc I know van wont see this), he is excellent at making these videos, and I’m sure many other things. Thank you VN
It's funny how many younger creators in this generation will outfit themselves with all of the equipment gadgetry they could ever dream of having, only to struggle to find an original style or voice. In and interview about his studio, Van was talking about how being a broke artist starting out forced him to "rig" everything-which became his style. "Your workaround is your voice." I've taken that to heart in most of my creations.
How much can I get away with based on what I currently have? And can those compromises and workarounds lend to the style itself?
“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.” - Salvador Dali.
Needed this rn, my mental health is collapsing and it’s making me less creative and more perfectionistic making the whole ordeal worse. I spend a lot of time isolated experimenting and trying to find that spark but I wonder if the struggle comes out of fear instead of love
Something that took me ages to realise "If It's worth doing, It’s worth doing poorly"
Your movies are perfect
It seems that as we age, perfectionism, even the disruptive kind, becomes more ingrained. In our late teens and twenties, there's less concern about others' opinions. But as we grow older, there's a tendency to care more about what we create and how it's perceived. This can sometimes hinder creation, as we struggle to bypass our own critical filters. Personally, I wish I could disregard these concerns and just create whatever the fuck I want.
Adam Savage once said "perfection is not a destination, but a direction." basically meaning you may never reach perfection, but you you should always try to strive for it
Good Enough! 👍🏼
“Finish the project”
I good enough everything because i know nobody else will even try, so good enough is better than nothing. You can always polish it in post.
In spanish from Spain we have a word for this "good enough" thing; It is "ÑAPA"
Quality, Time, Cost. You can pick two.
"Don't let perfect get in the way of good." (author unknown)
Wasnt this released a couple months ago?