Let’s get one thing straight before we dive into the sauce of this story: perfection is overrated, and authenticity is the real main course. I Had a 90s Kitchen and Zero Skills… So Naturally, I Started a Food Blog. Here’s how to learn to stop waiting for perfect.
For the longest time, I had this itch, ok let’s call it a full-blown craving to start posting my dishes online.
But I kept holding back. Because if you’ve ever seen my kitchen, you’d understand. Straight outta the mid-90s, this puce-pink beauty with her vermillion benchtops isn’t exactly Pinterest material. My kitchen does not paint a good backdrop for the masterpiece dishes I have been brewing up. Think Barbie meets Bunnings on a budget.
Now, I’m no food photographer. And every time I snapped a pic of one of my culinary masterpieces, the images were not doing my self-proclaimed glorious dishes any favours. The lighting was off. The background screamed nostalgic regret.
So I waited. And waited. I told myself I’d start posting recipes when I renovated the kitchen… bought a decent camera… learned to edit photos…
You know the drill — waiting for everything to be perfect.
From Constraints comes creativity
One afternoon, I stumbled across an article about sharing your work online. The message hit me right in the apron strings:
“Use what you have. You don’t need fancy equipment or perfect aesthetics. Authenticity beats perfection, every time. From constraints comes creativity.”
It was the permission slip I didn’t know I was waiting for.
Suddenly, I wasn’t just thinking about sharing recipes — I was unstoppable. That one line lit a fire under my puce-pink benchtop and set off a full cartwheel of creativity. And now my rudimentary pics have finally seen the light of day. You are welcome!
Now, here’s where it gets weird (and kind of genius). In the back of my linen press, nestled behind some bath towels, old Christmas decorations and my hopes of ever being a minimalist, I remembered a stash of large, stone-look floor tiles that were leftover from when my ensuite burned down. (A story for another blog post, perhaps called “The Day My Ensuite Tried to Quit Me”)
Anyway, I had an idea: What if I used the tile as a makeshift modern benchtop backdrop?
So I plonked it on top of my retro counter, whipped out my phone, arranged my food like I was hosting MasterChef and BAM. My humble kitchen turned into a mini studio. No renovation, no ring light and no excuses.
And just like that, my food blog was born.
(Yes, this really is my kitchen benchtop. I am considering starting a Go Fund Me page)
Stop Waiting for Perfect: This Isn’t Just About Food
This post isn’t just a love letter to makeshift tiles and burnt-pink benchtops. It’s a reminder to every creative soul who’s ever second-guessed their starting point.
12 Tips to Stop Waiting for Perfect and Start Now
1. Call It What It Is: Fear in Fancy Clothing
Perfectionism isn’t high standards — it’s procrastination wearing a power blazer. Call it out and keep moving.
2. Do It Messy on Purpose
Make it a game: how imperfect can I let this be and still show up? Post the blurry pic. Launch the “meh” version. Watch the magic happen.
3. Set a 24-Hour Rule
If you have the idea, give yourself one day to act on it in some small way. No sitting, stewing, or spiraling.
4. Befriend the B-minus
Aim for “good enough” — because done and out there is miles ahead of perfect and unpublished.
5. Create Before You Judge
Let your creativity breathe before your inner critic slams the door. You can always edit later — but you can’t tweak what doesn’t exist.
6. Treat Everything Like a Draft
Instagram post? Draft. Email? Draft. Business plan? Draft. Life? One big, beautiful draft. Permission to evolve.
7. Start With What You’ve Got (Even if It’s Weird)
Use the tile. Use your phone. Use the 10 minutes you have. Starting scrappy is not a flaw — it’s a flex.
8. Don’t Wait for Confidence — Build It by Doing
Confidence doesn’t show up fully dressed. It arrives in your sweatpants, with yesterday’s eyeliner after action. Clarity comes from movement, not musings.
9. Celebrate Cringe as a Sign of Growth
If you’re not mildly embarrassed by your early work, you waited too long. Cringe means you’re evolving. Clap for her. Loudly and unapologetically.
10. Make Peace with Impermanent Solutions
That weird setup, workaround, or duct-taped system? If it gets the job done, it’s worthy. Progress over polish.
11. Ask: What’s the real risk of doing this now?
What are you actually afraid of — judgment, failure, being seen? Call it by name so you can shrink its power.
12. Put Your Future Self in the Driver’s Seat
Imagine how proud she’ll be that you started before you felt ready. Do it for her. She’s cheering you on (with a celebratory bubble in hand).
Intentional living isn’t about waiting for the perfect setup
It’s about choosing to show up with what you’ve got, right now, stop waiting for perfect – and trust that what you’ve got is enough.
Because constraint breeds creativity. Scrappy solutions often spark the biggest breakthroughs. And you, are way more capable than your perfectionism gives you credit for.
So whether you’re sitting on blog ideas, business dreams, or banana bread recipes — start where you are, use what you’ve got, and let it be beautifully imperfect.
The world doesn’t need your polish. It needs your presence.
Want more imperfect inspiration?
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