When I was younger, I thought good art meant “perfect” art.
The cleanest lines. The smoothest shading. The most realistic portrait.

But the older I get, the more I realize: technical perfection isn’t what makes art powerful. It’s perspective.

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In almost every art class, you can feel it—that invisible competition of who’s “better.” Someone’s drawing looks more realistic, another’s painting captures lighting just right, and you start wondering: “Am I even doing this right?“

That question haunted me for years. I was so busy trying to figure out the “correct” way to make art that I forgot why I started in the first place.

Here’s the truth: there is no correct way.

When a group of students studies the same photo, no two finished pieces look the same. One person might exaggerate the eyes, another might pour energy into capturing shadows, another might focus on emotion with bold strokes. Which one is “right”? All of them.

Because each piece is filtered through a different lens—a different perspective.

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What Perspective Really Means

Your perspective isn’t just your angle of view. It’s your lived experience, your story, your inner world.

The memories that shaped you. The struggles you’ve walked through. The joy and the grief that live in your body. All of that comes out—sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly—every time you create.

That’s why art is never just a copy of reality. It’s a reflection of how you experience reality.

When I look at a tree outside, I can’t take in every single detail at once. My eyes might focus on the texture of the bark, but then the leaves blur in the background. Someone else might notice the light filtering through the branches. Another person might fixate on the roots breaking through the soil. The same subject—yet each perspective is different.

This lesson I learned in art has stretched far beyond the studio.

Your perspective matters not just on canvas, but in conversations, in work, in relationships, in the way you move through the world.

So often we silence ourselves because we’re afraid we’ll get it wrong—that someone else’s way is more valid. But perspective is never wrong. It’s simply yours.

That means your voice, your ideas, and your story all hold weight.

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For years after college, I struggled to “find my style.” I copied what I thought people wanted. I chased approval. I was terrified of being wrong.

But the moment I let go of perfection and started honoring my own perspective, everything changed. My art felt freer, lighter, more me.

And maybe that’s what art is meant to be: not about proving ourselves, but about sharing our view of the world with others.

Whether you’re holding a paintbrush, writing a story, taking a photograph, or even just trying something new in life—remember this:

Perfection isn’t the goal. Perspective is.

Your perspective is your gift. It’s what makes your work, your words, your presence irreplaceable. Don’t bury it. Share it.

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