I guess I am just venting here ☠️ Had a bit of a conversation on a FB woodworking page that had this hook line Woodworking gets easier when you stop chasing perfection . There were folks on both sides of the topic and it kind of bothered me that some will strive for perfection only to be dissappointed falling short of the mark. Sadly the folks that seem to want it most look like they may have the longest journey before them. The only result seems to strip the endless joy from making sawdust. Simply I beleive the crusade for perfection should not exist which bent my ire into this.....................Chasing perfection is such an unfortunate term. Perfection is something that is always creating a greater distance between you and your work. It is like an oasis off in the shimmering distance taunting you to run harder toward a reality that simply fades away the closer you get. STOP chasing perfection like an oasis of achievement, instead take pride in every project big or small and challenge yourself to have a lesson learned that you take into your next project.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by calabrese55

My opinion of "perfection", is that it is not perfect fitting joinery, or a perfect glossy surface, etc.. The perfect things I've made are those that my eyes and those of others agree are fine pieces of work. Easy on the eyes. Functional with no distracting "almost" or "nearly' that might amend that comment. Details that agree with each other that they belong together on that piece. Appropriate for where the piece will end up and live. A pleasant distraction for those that enter the room where it lives. A discussion starter every now and then. A story it has that some can read from just looking at it. And 40 years later the piece still possesses all the above traits.

Most of the pieces I've made were far from perfect. They are mostly but not joyfully functional. Fun to imagine. Fun to make. Not memorable enough to still make me smile when I see them years later. I don't set about chasing perfection. Sometimes I accidently reach it.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by 4DThinker

Totally agree.

A video, from Mike peace, posted in yesterday's "Wednesday's Wisdom..." is sorta along those lines.

I try to improve with each new project/experiment. Are they perfect, NO, nut I had fun doing them and always learn something new,

we are imperfect men (and women), working with finite resources, applying force to imperfect materials, trying to make something with beauty and utility. don't like what i make, do it yourself. and get off my lawn.

I think we can take a lesson from Vince Lombardi:

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. 😄