Craft vs Perfectionism
If you haven't been living under a rock you've probably heard the term "craft". I couldn't find a precise definition quote, but the general consensus is that it's:
The process of making something with care and attention to detail
If you squint your eyes you'll see that craft looks a lot like perfectionism. It's the same impulse that drives it, with a fuzzy line between them.
Why this hit me
I'm doing custom furniture for my apartment as a hobby/side project. And I've been obsessing with small details (tiny gaps between pieces, slight misalignments, intricate solutions to hide fixtures, etc.) that nobody caught by just looking at it, only after I told them what was wrong.
And the reaction after I tell them is usually "oh, I didn't notice that, and nobody else will notice either. Stop being a perfectionist and call it a day."
In my mind, i'm just putting some craft and care into it, and those details are painstakingly obvious to me.
And after speaking to a professional carpenter, he told me that he also notices these small details. So who is right here? Are crafters doing this just to please themselves? Do people subconsciously notice these details? Or is it something more complex and nuanced?
My take
I think the line between craft and perfectionism is a matter of taste. Having more taste will push your bar higher, and you'll start to notice more details and fixing them will become "crafting". If you have less taste, fixing things that don't matter to you will become "perfectionism".
Now putting this in a professional setting (because I can spend whatever time I want on a side project, but not in a job), you need to strike a balance between the two. Especially if you factor time into the equation.
A rule of thumb:
- If leaving it makes the product worse, fix it
- If it only bothers you, fix it when you have time.
- Otherwise, let it go.
Be aware that your own taste will affect your judgement of what makes your product worse.