Pumpkin Carving for the Soul: Smashing Perfectionism with a Kitchen Knife

Pumpkin Carving for the Soul: Smashing Perfectionism with a Kitchen Knife

There are two kinds of pumpkin carvers:

  1. The Pinterest Perfectionists—the ones with stencils, power tools, and a pumpkin that looks like it belongs in an art exhibit.
  2. The Rest of Us—whose pumpkins look like they’ve survived a bar fight and lost.

Here’s my argument: group two is winning at life.

 

 

1. Why “Perfect” Is Overrated

Perfect pumpkins are fun to look at—but messy pumpkins tell better stories. Life is the same way. Nobody remembers the time you played it safe and looked flawless. They remember when you tried something, messed it up, laughed, and owned it.

Your crooked pumpkin grin? It’s basically a life coach saying, “Stop worrying. Start doing.”

 

 

2. Carving as Therapy

Pumpkin carving is secretly one of the most cathartic fall activities. You’re literally scooping guts out of something, stabbing it with knives, and calling it “decorating.”

What if you approached your own inner mess like that? Imagine scooping out the junk in your head: doubt, fear, imposter syndrome. Toss it on newspaper. Then cut out the shape you want people to see: joy, courage, curiosity. That’s not just a pumpkin—it’s a metaphor for personal growth.

 

 

3. Smash the Pumpkin, Smash the Perfectionism

Hot take: if your pumpkin collapses halfway through—lean in. Put it on the porch anyway. Light it up anyway. Or better yet, smash it and make it a TikTok moment.

We spend too much energy editing ourselves into “perfect.” Sometimes the most inspiring thing you can do is show up messy. Show up carved wrong. Show up cracked and glowing.

 

 

4. A Seasonal Reminder

Fall is the season of change, decay, and transformation. Pumpkins rot. Leaves drop. Darkness comes earlier. It’s nature reminding you: you don’t have to hold it all together.

Perfectionism is about control. Freedom is about carving, laughing, and knowing your jagged smile still lights up the night.

 

 

Bottom line? This fall, carve badly on purpose. Smash perfectionism with your kitchen knife. Your pumpkin—and your life—will glow brighter because of it.

Back to blog