Not only is perfection expensive, it s rare. Listen to a lot of recordings and you ll begin to hear the flaws. In the days before hard disk audio editing and pitch correction software, you could really hear the flaws in recordings. Fluffed notes and off-key singing can be found in abundance when listening to the oldies station. There are hard-core Beatles fans that can tell you about every mistake that appeared in all the band s recordings.
Every artist has room to grow, and has to be able to accept where they are in the present.
A modern studio may have the technology to disguise some of your flaws, but chances are you still won t be completely happy with everything. Most performing songwriters set their goals high. They want their album to be the best thing ever recorded. After it s done, almost every artist will listen to their work and wish they had done certain things differently. Remember, if you re an artist for life it most likely will not be your last album, and the vast majority of your audience will remain blissfully unaware of any flaws you may have detected in your work.