The Creativity Choice: Why Perfectionism Kills Creativity (and How to Get Past Version 1.0) with Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle

About this episode

This episode discusses how perfectionism can hinder creativity and emphasizes the importance of engaging in the creative process.

“If you wait for perfection, you give yourself nowhere to start.” — Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle This episode explores perfectionism, visibility, and why waiting for the “perfect” version can halt creativity altogether. I’m joined by Dr. Zorana Ivccvic Pringle, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and author of The Creativity Choice . Zorana shares a science-backed definition of creativity that moves beyond talent or artistic identity. We dive deeply into the role of questions in the creative process. She explains why first ideas are often the most obvious and how developing 1.0 versions require time, effort, and openness to change. This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin. Zorana reminds us that creativity is not about waiting for inspiration, it’s about choosing to engage, asking better questions, and staying with the creative process. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify , or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create. Get the full show notes & transcript here . Leave a comment on Substack or reach out on LinkedIn Carla Contreras & Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle…

People in this episode

Host: Chef Carla Contreras

Guest: Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle

Topics covered

• perfectionism
• creativity
• emotional intelligence
• creative process
• self-improvement

Keywords

• perfectionism
• creativity
• emotional intelligence
• creative process
• self-improvement
• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Books & works: The Creativity Choice

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