perectionism kicking in

[anlgp]

We're both really excited about love letter day.

I'm usually very good expressing love, but for some reason I have it in my head that love letters sent on love letter day should be extra special. I'm known to mail a letter here or there just because and have done some things to add to the letters.

I've started a few already and know for a fact she'll love whatever it is I do end up sending her, but I've just a "this has to be perfect" mechanism in my head. I know there's no such thing, especially in love, and I know there are some threads around here for ideas of what to write. I'm pretty good on what I'm going to write, I guess I just kind of was wondering if any of you have written and torn up letters or communication because you didn't think it was up to where you wanted it to be?

[Haley53]

I have, yes, but I have also found that when I get... not so much stumped for what to write, but when I'm obsessing over what I'm including in the letter and what I want to include and get entirely too caught up in the logistics, I've found that I don't write with the creative and romantic freedom that I do when often caught up in a tired moment of bliss, when my perfectionist defenses are down. Sometimes I've found what helps is by starting out with something simpler than the love letter, writing about my feelings about the day or writing about something that made me think of my partner and feel particularly glowy and warm inside, and the more I write and express myself, the less think-y I tend to be. If you don't want to do that in the letter, you could always try going for a walk, and then come home and get the creative juices flowing by describing that walk as if you were to describe it to your partner and make them feel as though they were really there. It can help overcome writer's block and I feel, for me, that it often helps me overcome inhibitions, because I'm already on the roll of writing and so tend to write from the heart as opposed to the head.

[efish1042]

Sorry, I got a kick out of the "perectionism kicking in" when you're talking about "perfectionism".
ANYWHOOZLE!
Yes, I have. I've found it easier to just go from the heart and not worry about if it's perfect or not. You aren't perfect. Neither is your SO. She probably won't notice if it isn't perfect because it will be perfect to her because she loves you. This is hard for me as I have a mild case of OCD that flares up now and again, but I just write and seal before I can think too hard about it. I know my SO will love that I was thinking about him.