how to know if your artwork is actually ready to pitch (if you’re a perfectionist like me)
This is the question that will keep you stuck longer than anything else:
“Is this ready?”
And if you’re even a little bit of a perfectionist (like me), what that usually turns into is:
tweaking the same design over and over
second-guessing color choices
convincing yourself it needs “just one more thing”
opening the file… staring at it… closing it
I’ve done all of it.
And honestly? I’m dealing with it right now—but not with my artwork.
With this app.
A quick side note…
I’ve been building this app behind the scenes for a while now.
And I can tell you… it never feels done.
There’s always:
one more feature I could add
one more thing I could improve
one more detail that could be better
At any point, I could say:
“it’s not ready yet.”
And technically, I’d be right.
But if I keep waiting for it to feel finished, I’ll never launch it.
It’s the exact same thing with your artwork
At a certain point, the issue isn’t the work.
It’s the standard you’re holding it to.
So instead of trying to hit some imaginary version of “perfect,” here’s a more honest way to look at it.
1. Does it feel cohesive… or are you overthinking it?
At a certain point, most artwork in a collection do work together.
But perfectionism makes you question things like:
“Is this blue the exact right blue?”
“Does this one pattern ruin everything?”
If your first instinct was “this works,” and now you’re spiraling…
it probably works.
2. Are you adding value… or just adding more?
Perfectionists love to add “just one more thing”.
But more isn’t always better.
Ask yourself:
Does this new piece actually improve the collection?
Or am I avoiding finishing by continuing to create?
A smaller, strong collection will always beat a bigger, scattered one.
3. Would anyone else notice what you’re fixing?
This one is a gut check.
You might be adjusting:
the curve of a leaf
spacing by a few pixels
a color that’s barely different
Most art directors will never see that level of detail.
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter, but, it does mean it might not be the thing holding you back.
4. Are you stuck in “refining” mode?
There’s a phase where improving your work makes a big difference.
And then there’s a phase where nothing is really changing… you’re just circling.
If you’ve been looking at the same collection for days (or weeks) and not making meaningful changes, you’re probably in that second phase
(I’m talking to myself here as much as I’m talking to you!)
5. What are you actually afraid of?
This is usually the real reason.
Not:
“it’s not ready”
But:
“what if no one likes it?”
“what if I get ignored?”
“what if this isn’t as good as I thought?”
Perfectionism is really good at disguising fear as “just a little more work.”
Where I’ve landed (with both my work and my app)
I don’t think things are ever truly finished.
I think there’s just a point where you decide:
this represents what I can do right now.
Not perfectly.
Not at its final form.
But well enough to put into the world.
Because whether it’s a collection or an app… you don’t learn anything by keeping it hidden.