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S2, Ep2: Perfect vs. Done: Kyle Metzger on Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Pursuing Art Anyway
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In this episode, we sit down with longtime friend and creative force Kyle Metzger, an award-winning lighting designer and multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans ski films, fine furniture, carpentry, and photography. Through the lens of perfectionism, we explore how the desire to create something exceptional can become a paralyzing block. Kyle opens up about his journey navigating the tension between idealism and action, identity and ego, creative vision and real-world limitations. From career pivots and burnout to breakthrough projects and deeply personal insights, this is a powerful conversation for anyone who’s ever struggled to start (or finish) because it didn’t feel perfect.
We Chat About:
- How perfectionism disguises itself as integrity, identity, and control
- Why perfectionism often leads to procrastination, paralysis, or avoidance
- The emotional cost of being “too precious” with your work
- Navigating perfectionism as a multi-passionate creative
- Kyle’s “I’ve arrived” moment after 20 years of quiet effort
- Why design, lighting, and environment are emotional experiences
- How ego and creative expression are deeply intertwined
- The tension between wanting recognition and fearing exposure
- Why small creative acts matter just as much as big ones
- Giving yourself permission to be seen—even when it’s messy
About Kyle: Kyle Metzger is an award-winning lighting designer for films specializing in ski movies. He is also a talented carpenter, photographer, writer, farmer and chef. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Connect with Kyle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basil_wrathbone/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BenchetlerFilms
Website: https://www.chrisbenchetler.com/
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to Kyle Metzger
01:15 – Which creative role feels most fulfilling now
02:30 – From film to carpentry: building as expression
05:00 – Why Kyle almost became an architect
06:45 – Choosing filmmaking: fear, freedom, and social life
08:50 – Charting a nonlinear creative career
10:20 – Advice for younger creatives: “You can do less in a day, more in a year”
12:00 – Current desires: writing, building, skiing, and solitude
14:00 – How Kyle’s rural upbringing shaped his creative eye
16:00 – Cooking as survival creativity
17:50 – What life in the film industry actually looks like
20:00 – The Mountains of the Moon project: skiing, psychedelics, and skeletons
23:00 – Authoring work vs. being a cog
25:00 – Kyle’s “I’ve arrived” moment in British Columbia
28:00 – Why he couldn’t have handled success any earlier
30:00 – Rejecting mainstream influence to preserve intuition
32:00 – Kyle’s take on perfectionism as ego and identity
34:00 – Trade-offs, reality checks, and the cost of idealism
36:00 – When perfectionism leads to avoidance
38:30 – How identity and self-image slow down creative starts
40:00 – The pain of sharing messy first drafts
42:00 – Complaining vs. caring deeply: reframing critical observation
44:30 – Crafting better experiences: the designer’s perspective
46:00 – Encouragement to share your lens with the world
49:00 – Why Kyle doesn’t post more—and how perfectionism gets in the way
53:00 – Shar
Connect with Us:
Creative Energy Podcast: www.wearecreativeenergy.com
Linda Lewis: www.lindalewcreative.com
Heather Manwaring: www.heathermanwaring.com
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