Get yourself unstuck: overthinking is boring and perfectionism is a trap

Overthinking is often confused with diligence. Many creative students don’t procrastinate because they lack ideas; they stall because they’re trapped in its socially acceptable form. Perfectionism wears a disguise of “high standards” but is rooted in fear. Overthinking isn’t noble. It’s exhausting. And perfectionism isn’t excellence; it’s avoidance with better PR.

Why students stay stuck

When I ask students what’s stopping them from progressing with their work, it’s rarely a shortage of imagination. More often, it’s a lack of permission to start, to fail, to be imperfect. I consider this dilemma through some key ideas:

• Perfectionism is paralysing. Many students believe that if they can’t do it perfectly, it’s not worth doing. They delay starting, waiting for the “right” moment – which never comes.
• Overthinking is a loop. High-achieving students are especially vulnerable. Years of praise and being top of the class at school for getting things right have made them risk averse. They second-guess themselves into stillness. In creative subjects, their perfectionism becomes a cage because there’s rarely a single “right” answer to aim for. Instead of using uncertainty as a space to explore, they freeze.
• Inaction feels safer than imperfection. A blank page carries no judgement. But a messy draft or process of iteration? That can be criticised. Students trained to value neatness struggle to tolerate the chaos of version one.
• Failure feels personal. If they don’t finish, they don’t have to see the flaws. The first draft becomes a battleground between self-doubt and ambition.
• Intensity is mistaken for effectiveness. Students equate working longer with working better. But excessive refining suffocates play. And without play, creativity withers.
• Emotions are hidden. High achievers often look as if they’re thriving, but under the surface, they’re anxious, overwhelmed or burnt out.
• Fear narrows perspective. When curiosity feels too risky, students retreat into what they already know. And that’s when creativity flatlines.

Start small and break the loop

So what does this mean for supporting students in the creative arts (and beyond)? 

Educators need to tap into their compassion with gentle challenge. If we don’t tackle this mindset, students risk bowing out – or worse, burning out – long before they reach their potential.

That’s why I encourage imperfection, messiness and play and build these ideas into how I teach.

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One student froze at the start of every project, paralysed by the pressure to be brilliant. So, I gave her a five-minute challenge: make something bad. Deliberately awful. With the clock ticking, she scribbled down chaotic ideas without judgement. It only took 30 seconds for the block to break. And buried in the mess was the start of something great.

Another student, overwhelmed by his own research, couldn’t decide where to begin. I asked him to complete one sentence: “The main point of my project is…” That one line became a compass. With clarity came calm – and then action.

These moments don’t come from big breakthroughs. They come from removing pressure and replacing it with permission.

What educators can do

To help students move from stuck to starting, we can:

• Create low-stakes challenges. Use quick, playful briefs where the goal isn’t perfection but momentum. Simple prompts, such as writing a one-sentence summary or setting a five-minute timer, can reset a student from paralysis to progress.
• Spot the silent strugglers. High-achieving students may be masking their anxiety. Don’t assume “good” work means all is well.
• Avoid the temptation to over-praise. For high-achieving, self-confessed perfectionists, too much praise can add pressure to maintain success. They may begin to associate their value with performance, rather than process, making it harder to take creative risks.
• Normalise messiness. Share your own false starts, abandoned ideas and version ones. Students need to see the process, not just the polish.
• Reframe failure. Instead of fearing the imperfect, celebrate the effort it took to try.

Let go of your own perfectionism

Perfectionism isn’t a badge of honour; it’s a creative crisis hiding in plain sight, one we can help our students face. And nor is being stuck a personality trait. It’s a moment, which passes more easily when students feel safe to begin imperfectly, explore without fear and play without pressure.

But we’re not immune, either.

Many educators know this feeling all too well; we spend evenings rewriting slides, fill weekends with over-preparation, driven by the pressure to get every lesson “just right”. We overwork, not because we’re inefficient but because we care deeply. And sometimes, we care too much.

If we want students to embrace imperfection, we might need to lead by example. Show them your messier drafts, unfinished thoughts and a willingness to let go. In getting unstuck yourself, you will help your students do the same.

David Thompson is a senior lecturer in creative advertising at the University of Lincoln.

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