Sometimes, I struggle to create. Oh, there are magnificent ideas. It’s just that when my writing or photographs are not living up to the vision in my head I tend to stop what I’m doing and leave the ideas safely tucked in folds of gray matter where they can never reveal my flaws to the world. I am a goddess of imagination with a creative disability called perfectionism.

Masquerading as a noble pursuit, perfectionism pretends to be self-improvement and healthy growth. In truth, it is fear posing this debilitating question: What will they think of me?

The good news is there are antidotes. Courage. Self-love. Connection. Friends—the honest kind—who remind us imperfect is more interesting anyway.

The most creative people I know tell me they write bad drafts, take awful pictures, and mess things up. What makes them brilliant is that they continue to put themselves out there, they choose to keep going.

Bringing Lucia to you has been a practice in overcoming my insatiable desire to be seen as perfect, an addiction that blocks creativity and leads nowhere. If this magazine is to flourish then I must aspire for real, for good enough, because it is time to go to print.

Maybe you know the feeling? I’m so glad you’re here. Welcome to Issue Two: Perfection.

xo,

When a new print issue of Lucia is published, we release a sampling of stories from the previous print issue online. You may order a copy of the full print edition of ‘Issue Two : Perfection’ while limited quantities last here. Thank you for reading Lucia.