The Perils of Perfectionism: Exploring “the Obsessed Artist”
The archetype of “the Obsessed Artist” describes an artist who strives to better themselves at their chosen craft but tears themselves apart in an attempt to achieve perfection. While it is only human to want to strive for perfection and be sincerely passionate about one’s craft, there is a line that must be drawn between creative pursuits and self-destruction, because an artist’s emotions, mental health, and relationships can all take a turn for the worse in exchange for perfection.
2010’s Black Swan and 2014’s Whiplash are two contemporary films that delve into the detrimental effects of perfectionism, in performing artists specifically. And while both make for compelling psychological dramas, each of these films serves as a cautionary tale, exposing the dangers of attempting to achieve the unachievable and informing the viewers on the cost of true artistic validation, excellence, greatness, perfection.
They tell the stories of Nina, a ballerina intent on being cast as the Swan Queen in her dance company’s production of Swan Lake, and Andrew, a jazz drummer who desperately wants to be accepted into a prestigious studio band. Both artists desire to be the best of the best at what they do — and let’s just say they get their wish.
Emotions and Mental health
The pursuit of perfection should never have to cost us our personal wellbeing.
In the film, Nina begins to undergo psychosis, suffering for weeks, and hallucinating sinister things that aren’t really there, such that on opening night of the ballet, she fatally stabs herself imagining that it was her rival instead. When Nina really should have been getting help, she pushed on, intent on finishing the final act of the ballet with a fatal wound in her chest. No individual should have to make the ultimate sacrifice to obtain ultimate perfection in their art.
Both artists undergo horrifying metamorphoses for the fear of failure. Andrew’s pursuit of perfection is driven by his violent, manipulative, and impossible-to-please mentor whose only goal is to “create” someone great, having little care as to how much he humiliates his student. Andrew succumbs to his mentor’s abusive ways, physically harming himself in the process, such that he takes time away from drumming to gain some perspective and take a break from mental exhaustion as well. This reveals that the need for perfection, when driven by external factors — such as a mentor — can lead to significant personal sacrifices.
Everyone loves to succeed. In any field, whether it be art, science, or sports, the desire to succeed, to set high standards for ourselves, and to work towards goals proactively is and should be essential, but success and perfection are not the same thing. Success gives us healthy feelings of accomplishment and happiness. The problem with perfection is that it is unattainable, it exists not in reality and consequently, attempting to achieve it can cause emotional and psychological distress. If you set a high standard of perfection for yourself that is unattainable, then you will plunge into a downward spiral of “striving” and will never be satisfied with your place in life — and this is something not just fictional characters but we as well can all relate to.
Relationships and social dynamics
Beyond personal struggles, the insatiable need for perfectionism may cost us our relationships.
Both Andrew and Nina’s singular focus on perfecting their craft result in strained relationships with those around them, Andrew with his father, and Nina with her mother. Family and friends are supposed to be there for us when we venture on difficult journeys; our relationships are what truly enrich our lives. However, an obsessive pursuit of artistic perfection demands such singular devotion that it can get in the way of other important aspects of an individual’s life, highlighting its isolating nature.
While both films discussed are fictional dramatizations, they both vividly reveal the dangers of rampant perfectionism. The toll perfectionism has on our emotions, mental health, and relationships emphasizes the importance of rethinking socially-enforced expectations and performing and creating art because doing it brings us joy, not because we want to be perfect at it. We should foster a more compassionate and forgiving approach to artistic expression. For lack of less cliché words, we must recognize that nobody’s perfect, and thus there is little value in pursuing something if the ultimate goal is perfection. There is little value in becoming the Obsessed Artist.
