A reflection on perfection
“Maybe we need to contemplate whether outer appearances really do hold more value to what’s within”
An intentionally out of focus, blurry photo has got me thinking about perfectionism.
I think society has been conditioned to pursue perfectionism, cause it’s one of the most effective ways to keep selling you something, then that something is actually “unattainable”. Think about that for a moment.
It’s a TRAP, to keep you spinning the hamster wheel, obsessing and always chasing something that is just always a little out of your reach and in actuality, leads you further away from yourself. For example, let’s just think about how we’ve been conditioned to buy food, in particular fresh fruit and vegetables. The fruit and vegetables with any defects or cosmetic flaws such as bruises, bird pecks, scratches, and discolouration are deemed not fit for sale, but psychologically it’s telling us “not fit for consumption if it does not have the perfect colour, shape and texture. This outward perfection comes at a cost, be it to the detriment of the health of the food itself. By that I am referring to the hybridasation and genetic tampering of seeds to grow a “perfectly aesthetic” crop. My question is at what cost to our own health for a perfectly looking crop?
We see this all the time in our own fridges with food you may have grown yourself - the organically grown heirloom foods tend to rot and decompose a lot faster, compared to GMO crops, where it seems the microorganisms either don’t want to or can’t decompose the food. Imagine that same food sitting in our gut and intestines trying to be broken down.
A recent model portfolio shoot for new face Nigel @ Viviens Models
Similarly in the art and commerce industry, we strive for perfection. Now, don’t get me wrong, every time I pick up my camera and look through the viewfinder I am carefully composing the image, making adjustments to the scene and in camera to achieve an aesthetically pleasing photo. However, I am open to understanding that sometimes the most beautiful images are ones that capture something imperfect, in-between a fleeting moment, that just cannot be replicated. These type of images stand alone, because they are ingenious. There is something off putting about them, maybe it’s the blur which conveys motion and aliveness, or it’s composition throws you off, as it’s usually very unexpected. Whatever it is, these type of images haunt you, they get under your skin and you form a deep connection to it. THAT sometimes is the magic of not being perfect. It captures your attention, because your brain has been so conditioned to see and seek out perfectly composed imagery, that when one throws out all the rules, it has seized your focus, which is becoming even harder to do in today’s saturated sensory society.
Nigel @ Viviens Models
So maybe we need to change our PERCEPTION that “perfection is better for us”, when it is probably doing more harm in more ways than one; physically, emotionally and psychologically.
Maybe we need to contemplate whether outer appearances hold more value to what’s within.
