You should fail!
If you are a creative person, it's okay to be rejected. It's okay to write something that isn't that great...it's okay to try something new and have it bomb.
Failure is painful, and without pain, there is no growth.
Lately, I have this saying: Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
There were too many times that as a result of my failures I would crawl into a protective shell.
People were not meant to grow inside protective shells, we were not meant to stay behind high walls for most of our lives...comfort zones are only for short breaks.
Watching Zach G. talk about failure, I realize that the world is more like stand-up comedy than I care to admit. Sometimes, you ride a great high of emotions as people laugh at our jokes. And then, sometimes Will Smith comes to smack you in the face...hmmm...[Does that metaphor work for this essay?]
Some failures may seem like a step/slap too far. Sometimes the humiliation is just too much. What do you do then?
Do you raise the walls? Do you retreat to your comfort zone? Do you hide out in your parent's basement?
I suggest just breathing. Concentrate on your breath. One breath. Two breathes. Count them if you have to. Be grateful for each of them.
Realize that each breath is a chance.
As long as you have your breath you have a chance. Each breath a chance. A chance to create something wonderful. A chance to inspire. A chance to grow.
So, dwell in failure for a moment if you have to.
But then...breathe!
YOU ARE READING
Pure Writerly Moments 2 (Short Stories, Essays, Book Reviews, and More)
General FictionWhat is the connection between artistic expression and the joy of living? How can one best live a literary life? This book is a collection of small word-projects. Each examines a book, a moment, a story that helps to deepen the author's literary adv...
