Portfolio, perfectionism, and mindset: Is anyone really looking for someone like me?

In my morning content-consumption session about video editing, I came across a video saying that you don’t have to be the best video editor in the world to get clients. That’s obvious: market needs don’t always match our own artistic need to make something as close to perfect as possible.

Even so, the conflict that keeps me stuck at the starting line is the idea that there must be some “good enough” baseline level for someone to genuinely choose to work with me—rather than being a client who pays poorly or too little compared to the effort I put in.

Whenever I search online, I keep running into amazing showreels and enviable portfolios, and it’s easy to hold myself to those same standards, even if it isn’t fair. Because the more I consume audiovisual work of incredible quality, the more I realize how much I still have to improve—even almost a year after deciding to take this seriously.

The problem is that this constant comparison gives birth to a kind of perfectionism that can keep anyone an eternal student: someone who never feels that what they already know how to do is enough.

And sometimes, I truly believe it. Sometimes I feel like I can’t handle everything; like the distance between me and being someone worthy of being called a professional is enormous.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Any craft has levels of complexity, and for each level there’s a place in the job market. Just because an engineer isn’t working at MIT researching spacecraft (and isn’t a genius) doesn’t mean they aren’t a professional. Because being professional isn’t necessarily “being among the best,” but being able to offer what a client needs in a serious, responsible way.

By that standard, no—I’m not “not professional.” I am a professional, just one who still has doubts and fears that fade with experience and with a constructive relationship with the client.

Because if I can save someone time and do something that they don’t know how to do (or don’t want to do) on their own, I’m providing a valuable service.

And when it comes to creativity and art… a lot of the time it’s the ego that wants everything we do to be our best work. And it’s not bad to aim for excellence, but it’s better for something to get made than for it to stay stuck forever being tweaked in pursuit of perfection.

This also shows up in how we present ourselves to clients: it’s not that, to introduce myself, I need a flawless personal brand and a jaw-dropping portfolio. I simply have to do it with the resources I have, in a way that lets me draw attention to my skills and to who I am as a person.

In the end, everything else can be trained; it can be learned along the way. What really matters is human quality and work ethic.

And… personally, everything I’ve written above is something I’m only just starting to understand. In fact, writing it down makes it even clearer.

I’ve always wanted to be known for something with a bit more of a creative “wow” factor, but that doesn’t mean I have to use that creativity at 200% on every project and with every client. I can relax, follow directions, and simply start conversations first: offer my services, show what I have to show and, even if I fail or don’t find anyone right away, I’ll have pushed through the perfectionism block.

In the meantime, improving my portfolio to “level 1” is the goal, but it’s not a linear limit. It’s not that only when I finish my portfolio will I be worthy of working. That’s not how it works.

So, let’s get to it. I’ll always find the time to improve and, who knows, maybe reach the amazing level of the people who inspire me so much.

P.S.: If you’re a potential client, yes—I’m not afraid to say that, for the moment, I’m looking for work. Either way, my experience shows up in my words too. I’m working on turning my perfectionism into efficiency and responsibility!