Hey freelancers, perfectionism is an excuse. Stop letting it hold you back.

I once heard Andy Crestodina say, “Digital ink doesn’t dry.” I don’t know if he coined the phrase (credit to him) or got it from someone else (credit to them). It’s stuck with me years later.

I think about it as a way to tie creating something online with perfectionism — the scourge of many new (and old) freelancers. We take it too literally.

Claiming perfectionism provides an excuse for lack of progress or failure.

It holds us back from starting. It stops us in our tracks and derails projects when momentum is what we need most.

Ever say something like this?

I didn’t get started because my [insert] isn’t perfect. I failed because [insert] wasn’t perfect. I never did [insert] because it wasn’t the right time.

These are bs.

You know it.

Your perfectionism isn’t the reason something didn’t work; sometimes, it’s because you couldn’t let go of it enough to try.

So much of freelancing (and life) is about taking action.

If your imperfect pitch failed once, send more. Eventually, it will be perfect for someone. That’s all you need to start.

Digital ink doesn’t dry. Got an incorrect comma somewhere? Edit your post and fix it — after you hit publish.