We are often unaware of the struggles that the poet, painter or actor must go through in order to become a master of their craft. We also lose sight of the fact that for centuries people created products that were enjoyed for what they were rather than compared to what was considered to be the best. Today we hear the disappointment in the voice of the sports announcer when a skater or swimmer comes in second. Only first place is considered a success. Often children equate being able to finish a project quickly with being good at it.
Speed becomes the measure of success.
So we are dealing with quite a challenge in keeping our children enthusiastic and willing to take the risk of learning new creative skills. We need to find ways to emphasize the joy of doing a creative activity and to help them see that improving skills in any creative endeavor is a life long process. The number one way to do this is to model it to them in the projects we do. If we can let go of perfectionism and just enjoy our own creative process children will notice and feel more comfortable trying new things. It's not easy to encourage your child while still being realistic about their ability.