The link between perfectionism and addiction has been well documented, but I’ve come to believe that perfectionism plays an even bigger and more central role in many addictions than is generally thought – and that perfectionism itself can be addictive. Let me offer some examples of how perfectionism is handled in addiction literature, and then an idea of how I think it should be handled:
In Holy Hunger, her memoir of food addiction and healing, Margaret Bullitt-Jonas describes how she, “was a perfectionist bent on getting every detail ‘right,’ ready to pounce with condemnation on anyone – myself included – who got it ‘wrong.’”
How to Write a Lot: Overcoming Procrastination, Perfectionism and Writers Block in Boston April 14 – May 19, 2010
Grub Street Writers
Join Hillary Rettig, author of The Lifelong Activist, for a weekend that will forever change your relationship with your writing. People suffering from procrastination or a block often think they’re lazy, undisciplined, or otherwise lacking, but they really aren’t lacking at all: they are merely separated from their creativity and power by internal and outside constraints. Liberate yourself from those constraints, as this workshop teaches, and you will see your energy, discipline, commitment, etc., “magically” reappear – and your writing take off!
Creative writers of all kinds, as well as academics and those who write a lot on the job. will all find the workshop useful.