Perfectionism. It is crippling to adults and children alike. Some people wear it like a badge of honor. Some people see it as an excuse. But of all the barriers to learning, making, and engaging that I see among students, perfectionism (or the unhealthy thinking patterns that make it up) is Number One. And it comes up more frequently with neurodiverse brains. If you think perfectionism isn’t something you or your student struggle with, what about procrastination? Fear of failure? All-or-nothing thinking, unrealistic standards, defensiveness, motivated by fear, and being results-focused? These are all thinking patterns of perfectionism and things we try to help students through playful making.