“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

– Jim Carrey

One way in which we play-it-safe is by delaying projects, avoiding important tasks or striving for perfection.

​​My guest today is Janis Ozolins, a visual illustrator.

Key Takeaways

In this episode, Janis and I focus on the creative process and perfectionism: what is it? Is perfectionism a bad thing? Is perfectionism an angel? Is striving for perfection a toxic trait? Is it both?

How do we do our best work while navigating self-doubt, criticizing thoughts, and a push to do things right and perfectly?

This conversation isn’t a conversation about productivity per se, but it’s a conversation about how we can be our best creative selves while navigating internal conflicts.

Janis shares how he handles self-doubtful thoughts, perfectionist tendencies, and negative feedback when sharing his illustrations.

You will also hear what drives Janis’s visual work and principles – or constraints – as he calls them – to create his visuals.

perfectionism

Resources

Resources from Dr. Z.

Show notes with time-stamps

00:00 The Perfectionist Monster
00:27 The Origin of the Perfectionist Monster Concept
02:15 Managing Perfectionism in Creative Work
03:40 The Power of External Accountability and Consistency
05:12 Embracing Imperfection and Learning from Experience
08:51 Creating Content with Purpose and Quality
13:18 Balancing Pride and Productivity in Creative Output
16:50 Exploring Creative Constraints and Process
19:40 Unveiling the Creative Process: From Inspiration to Illustration
20:56 The Art of Content Creation: Ideation to Publication
22:52 Evaluating Creative Work: Clarity, Amplification, and Impact
29:49 Navigating Feedback: Embracing Positivity and Dealing with Negativity
34:09 Personal Growth Through Self-Development Books
36:45 Dream Coffee Dates: From Historical Figures to Personal Connections
 

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About Dr. Z.

I’m originally from Bolivia, South America, and am a psychologist by training. I’m formally trained in empirically supported treatments, and when I say “formally,” I mean that since 2004 I have received intensive training in them, particularly in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). 

Over the past 18 years, I have created resources for and worked with overthinkers and overachievers dealing with all types of anxiety-related struggles: perfectionism, procrastination, productivity anxiety, uncertainty intolerance, indecision, impostor phenomenon, overthinking, phobias, rumination, panic, worry and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I absolutely love my job!

In 2019, I was nominated as a fellow by the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science because of my contributions related to the applications of ACT for anxiety-based struggles. I’m the author of seven books and the co-author of three (see the section on previously written books).

I’m the founder and director of the East Bay Behavior Therapy Center, a boutique private center in the San Francisco Bay Area that offers therapy and coaching for anyone experiencing anxiety-based struggles.

In 2023, I gave a TEDx talk, “Stop playing-it-safe and start living” that has more than 264K downloads.

While I’m a psychologist by training and science-based by passion, my style is jargon-free, accessible, caring, and lighthearted; teaching ACT skills doesn’t have to be boring or inaccessible, so I do my best to make every skill I teach—in any format—as engaging as possible. 

I believe that learning to navigate anxiety-based reactions is one of the key skills of the 21st century, and I’m passionate about it.

I'm passionate about disseminating ACT skills for anxiety-based struggles.

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