You’ve probably heard the phrase “done is better than perfect.” It’s a motto that shows up in business, creativity, and even personal growth—and for good reason. But like most mottos, there’s nuance.
Growing up, my mom often used the phrase “oh, that’ll do.” Not in a careless way, but in a tongue-in-cheek, practical way that meant: we don’t have to do and redo until the joy and purpose are completely squeezed out of a thing. Dinner might not have been gourmet, but there was food on the table. The clothes came out clean, even if nobody folded them just so. The house stayed lived in—not spotless—but it left us space for, well, life.
Mom’s phrase was equal parts humor and self-protection, a way of lowering the bar just enough to keep things moving forward—practical, humorous, don’t dwell or over-think, keep moving forward. She was raising a family in the 60s and 70s, building her real estate business—at a time when “work–life balance” wasn’t even a phrase. Mom simply managed the impossible juggle of home and work with her trademark “that’ll do.”
My dad leaned the opposite way: toward perfection, especially with things the outside world would see. The trouble was, that drive often meant projects never got finished. If it couldn’t be done “just right,” or if it required the kind of scut work he didn’t want to touch, He either handed it off to us kids or left it undone. He believed that if it wasn’t perfect, you had failed—not really grasping that finishing in itself is success.
Finding the Balance
They both did the best they knew how, and I ended up somewhere between their extremes—a kind of push and pull that shaped how I see creativity and life. Isn’t that how it so often goes across generations?
Between “that’ll do” and “perfect,” I learned both philosophies. And somewhere in the middle is where I’ve landed. I can be practical when I need to be, but when it comes to things I’m creating for others—especially things I share publicly—the perfectionist in me rears up fast. And that’s where I get stuck.
The Trap of Extremes
- “That’ll do” keeps life moving, but the risk is when it slips into settling—when “at least it’s something” takes the place of finishing with care.
- Perfectionism looks shiny from the outside, but it can keep projects from ever seeing the light of day.
- Constantly working for perfection actually robs you of the joy of creating and can carry over into your end result. And it is often the reason people quit, pack their creativity in a box to be hidden away in a dark corner for some day.
- Neither extreme is satisfying, especially for anyone wrestling with perfectionism and creativity or the weight of creative overwhelm.
- As Voltaire famously said, “Perfect is the enemy of good.” Centuries later, it still rings true—especially for creators.
The Sweet Spot: Done Is Better Than Perfect
I’ve come to believe there’s a sweet spot: done, with care.
Done doesn’t mean sloppy. It doesn’t mean careless.
It means finished. Released. Out in the world where it can do some good.
It’s good enough to bring joy, even if it’s not flawless. And it doesn’t sit forever in a folder waiting for the mythical day when it’s “perfect.”
This is why the phrase done is better than perfect resonates so much. It doesn’t mean “careless” or “thrown at the wall.” It means finding the balance: finished, cared for, and still joyful.
Where I Am Right Now
To be honest, I’m in one of those cycles right now. I’ve got a couple of creations that are so close. But the projects themselves aren’t the exhausting part—it’s carving out the time and energy to finish them while caregiving, juggling life’s demands, and still holding myself to a high bar. That combination feeds doubt, and the perfectionist voice gets louder when I’m tired.
But here’s the thing: if I stay in that tug-of-war, nothing gets finished, nothing gets shared. And that’s worse than “imperfect.”
A Gentle Creative Challenge: Done Is Better Than Perfect in Action
Maybe you feel this too—caught between “that’ll do” and “it has to be perfect.” If so, here’s a simple challenge for you:
- Pick one idea you’ve been holding onto.
- Do something small with it today. (Write a post, make an image, start the project.)
- Release it—without overthinking, without perfecting.
The goal isn’t sloppy, and it isn’t flawless. It’s finished with care.
Start Creating Without the Pressure
If perfectionism has kept you from trying AI image creation, this is where done is better than perfect really matters. AI isn’t about perfect results—it’s about play, experimentation, and momentum. And the best part? The more you practice, the more confident and creative you feel.
That’s why I created my free AI Image Checklist. It’s a simple, step-by-step guide that grounds you in the basics and gets you creating right away. No overwhelm, no pressure—just a starting place that makes the process fun and nurturing.
👉 You can grab it here: Midjourney 101 AI Image Checklist
Come Create With Us
If you’d like encouragement, inspiration, and a community that gets both the overwhelm and the joy, come join me inside the Beautiful Creative You Facebook group. We’re building a space where done is celebrated, playfulness is encouraged, and creativity flows. Join us here.
“Perfection is the enemy of finished. Joy lives in what we actually share.”
So let’s embrace done is better than perfect—not as sloppy, not as settling, but as finishing with care, in a way that preserves the joy of creating. Let’s release them, imperfect as they may be, and let them spark joy in the world. Because half-finished brilliance hidden away doesn’t help anyone—not even us.
Here’s to making magic,
Terre | Beautiful Creative You
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