The Pursuit of Perfection
Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, once said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”
This week, we’re exploring that chase — the quiet, persistent pursuit of perfection in our craft, whether that craft is writing, painting, illustrating, or photography. Every artist I know works toward an ideal they can feel but never fully touch. Rarely are we completely satisfied when a piece is finished.
A cousin of mine, a gifted carpenter, once completed a beautiful project in our home. I told him how flawless it looked. He smiled and said, “You see the finished product. I see all the mistakes.” That line has stayed with me. It’s the artist’s paradox: the world sees the beauty, while we see the places we want to grow.
So what drives you to refine your craft? Why do you care enough to return to it again and again? Who pushes you to be better? And do you believe you’ll ever reach the level you imagine for yourself?
The pursuit itself is what keeps us coming back — the meandering journey with its switchbacks, surprises, and small revelations. That’s the joy of it.
Join us this week as we look at how writers, poets, and even book publishers lean into this pursuit of perfection, and how it shapes the work they bring into the world.
-Scott
What’s in the Cove
In The Mermaid’s Blog, Angie looks at the time, craft, and coordination behind the creation of a book with “curb appeal”.
On the Podcast Deck, we highlight the newest Mermaid’s Tale episode featuring poet and journalist, M. P. Slaughter.
In Creative Depths, Angie considers the pursuit of perfection in every published book and fine art print she creates. We take this pursuit further with our curated Driftwood Finds.
And in The Tide Pool, we share some of your artful adventures.
To begin our pursuit, we look at the craft and time that goes into the creation of a book.
The Mermaid’s Blog: The pursuit of a professionally published book with “curb appeal”.
Have you ever pulled a book from your shelf and paused to think about the time, craft, and coordination behind its creation? Or perhaps you’re an author preparing to publish your first book. While writing the manuscript is undeniably the greatest effort, without thoughtful design, layout, and production, that manuscript remains just that — a manuscript.
A successful book requires many key components that contribute to its salability and overall “curb appeal.” Creating a professionally published book that meets industry standards, looks good, and screams “read me”, is essential for both publishers and indie authors.
These requirements fall into two main groups: Content and Production. Content includes the elements every book must contain, while Production encompasses the design etiquette and structural standards that all professionally produced books should follow.
From the Podcast Deck
Recently, we spoke with poet and journalist Melany Slaughter on The Mermaid’s Tale Podcast about poetry, journalism, and the healing power of writing. Melany, a local newspaper journalist and poet, shared her path from grief to healing and the poetry collection that captures that journey. If you’ve experienced grief, write poetry, or believe in the power of words, this conversation will speak to you.
Since we’re talking about the “art” of perfection, Angie shares her creative pursuits…
Creative Depths
When I began my book publishing journey, I approached it with curiosity and a commitment to learning as much as I could. Even after three years, I’m still learning every day. Book design is both rewarding and challenging: each format—from board books and picture books to novels—has its own style, layout, and standards. I regularly read publishing blogs, follow industry news, and keep refining the craft behind every book I publish. Do I achieve perfection every time? No, but I’m always working toward it.
Creating a polished, marketable book can take anywhere from two months to two years. Editing, layout, typography, illustrations, front and back matter, and cover design all play an important role and require careful time and attention. I aim to produce the most professional book possible for every author I work with.
Fine art printing, by contrast, is a craft I have practiced for more than 20 years. My work with artist P. Buckley Moss, creating fine art giclées from her original artwork, gave me the knowledge and confidence to keep refining my skills. Learning to use new printers, upgraded software, and a wide range of fine art papers has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. I especially enjoy experimenting with different papers, from metallic and satin finishes to textured matte varieties.
Fine art and photographic printing can be tedious, especially during color correction. The process often involves printing a sample, making digital adjustments, printing another sample, and repeating those steps until the proof matches the original as closely as possible. The professional printers we use can also be finicky; for example, they need to run at least once a week to prevent the ink nozzles from clogging. Although the work is challenging, I enjoy it and continue striving to perfect it.
Since we are discussing creativity, we have these curated treasures to share with you…
Driftwood Finds
Are you a children’s book author? Determining the right vocabulary and language for your young audience can be challenging, but we’ve found a great resource for you. Children’s Writer’s WORD BOOK gives you word lists by grade, a thesaurus of listed words, and advice on word usage. Find it on Amazon.
Are you an artist that “thinks outside the box”? Learn more about mixed media art and learn to combine digital and analog techniques to create it, How to Master Mixed Media Art at https://www.hueandeye.org/how-to-master-mixed-media-art/
The Tide Pool
In our last newsletter Scott challenged us all to go out on a creative adventure then share that art, writing or photography adventure with us. We want to share some with you.
One of our readers, who isn’t an artist, tried their hand at illustration. I think the hedgehog came out pretty good!
One more thing—check out what we have to offer...
Take a moment and read a good book…
Whether you would like to read Melany’s poetry collection, gain insight about “changing our world” with Gary Brown, need a good cookbook, or are looking for a children’s book, visit our online shop and pick up your next read.
The Closing Current
As this week’s tide once again carries us out, thank you for spending time with us. We hope we have inspired you to “pursue perfection” in all your creative endeavors.
We look forward to catching up next time. Until then, never give up, try something new, and breathe in some fresh air. You have a story—tell it.
Seek it. Explore it. Live it.
P. S. If you know someone that would enjoy this newsletter, please forward to them.
True life mermaids (or mermen) believe in themselves, they embrace their creativity and live life to the fullest.
