In this episode, Katie talks about perfectionism, about:Liberating yourself from perfectionism, the second part of the first pillar of the MDC frameworkHer personal journey with perfectionism including publishing her first foray into the online learning and recording a podcastThe idea of toxic professionalism – the sense that any deviation from a white, straight, cis, tall, able-body bodied man in a suit is seen as unprofessional – and the similarities between this and perfectionism – the sense of perfect being dictated by other peopleThe shift needed towards an acceptance of imperfection in sustainability workHow to be an ‘imperfectionist’, understanding that the outcome will actually be better by letting go of perfectionism by embracing vulnerability, about taking risks and showing the cracks Here are some highlights:Connection“…I think that's quite exciting, because I think we sort of connect at our points of imperfection and vulnerability. So perfectionism is not the pursuit of excellence, it's something different from that. It's this idea that if you show up in a way that is ‘perfect’, you won't be criticised or rejected or hurt.” Natural and human“We tend to think of perfect as something that is flawless, something that's consistent perhaps. And often, when we think about objects, those things are mass produced. They're machine made. They come from a globalised economy. And yet, as designer makers, craftspeople and artists, you are used to embracing imperfection. The throwing rings in a pot are the sign of a human hand, the knots in wood are the sign of a natural material. And we talk about embracing these imperfections, because they're human, because they're natural and yet in our sustainability work, we feel the need to get it right to be perfect. But do we want sustainability work that is informed by machines, by consistency, by globalisation, by mass production? Or do we want sustainable thinking that is informed by the human hand, by nature?” Be Brave“…we've always been led to believe that if we hold ourselves to these high standards, we're more likely to achieve them. Actually, it's not true, we are more likely to achieve high standards, if we play and experiment and do something a lot because we're not frightened of getting it wrong. And so, I think in order to achieve what we need to achieve in sustainability, in order to make progress, we need to not be frightened of getting it wrong, we need to do it a lot, we need to do it playfully the same things apply.” Research, Books, Podcasts & Articles we mentioned:The dangerous downsides of perfectionism - BBC FutureWhy Aiming for Perfection Won’t Help You Achieve Your Goals (jamesclear.com)Atomic Habits by James Clear Spread the Word:Please share Circular with Katie Treggiden with wild abandon — with your friends, family, and fellow designer-makers or wherever interesting conversations about creativity happen in your world! If you love what you’re listening to, show me some love by following Circular with Katie Treggiden in this app and leaving a review. I’ll be honest, I don’t really understand how it works, but apparently, all that good stuff tells the ‘algorithm Gods’ to show the podcast to more people, and that can only be a good thing, right?And finally, sign up for our my e-newsletter ‘Weekly(ish) Musings for Curious, Imperfect and Stubbornly Optimistic Environmentalists’ landing gently in inboxes most Fridays - just click here. And find me on the Interwebs: @katietreggiden.1 (Instagram), @katietreggiden (Twitter, TikTok), @katietreggiden3908 (YouTube). If you’re a designer-maker, DM me a ♻️ to be added to my close friends group especially for sustainable craftspeople and check out Making Design Circular at www.katietreggiden.com/membership About Katie:Katie Treggiden is a purpose-driven journalist, author, podcaster and keynote speaker championing a circular approach to design – because Planet Earth needs better stories. With 20 years' experience in the creativ