Once you achieve perfection, it's no longer perfect.

Why did the media feel Macworld was flat this year? Why does Steve Jobs present so well, Why do people want Silverlight to succeed over Flash, why do people believe OSX is better than Windows Vista, why does Windows Vista sell so well? Why does...

The answers to all of the above are simple. We are chasing perfection, we are demanding that something succeed and we are highly emotional at times about it. Perfection once achieved is no longer perfect as it should be a ongoing quest with no end.

I am the worst perfectionist going, I see some interesting technology in this role and I find myself praising it on one hand and then brushing it aside, demanding it be improved. I do this also with my own artwork, I seek to ensure I put the most amount of energy, creativity and adhere's to a specific focused theme - failure... recycle bin..

I have just realised I have 4gb of artwork over 10 years that I've kept but doesn't meet my "perfection grade" (thus never really show people). That being said I have approx 1gb of artwork that I have kept that does -  but needs improvement.

I've never settled on one I'd call perfect.

It doesn't stop with my art work but also with regards to interactive programming. The interfaces I'd design for RIA solutions would be great to look at but I'd find the transition sequences the most frustrating as I wanted to achieve a certain outcome and would not accept "it will do".

Perfection is both a curse and gift in one, thus why critics exist and will continue to exist. A critic in my mind is someone or something that has already decided in their minds what perfection is and pity those whom are about to go before them - as they have lost before they began.

Accept the notion we need to reach perfection, but never punish the journey to perfection and results  produced along the way.

This post was inspired by Ratatouille a movie my son and I enjoy watching over and over.