You are Going to Fail

What is holding you back from following your dreams? Is it the fear of failure? What if I told you you are going to fail at least once? Knowing that, would you still do it? Every creative person knows the sting of failure, but the important part is they get back up and move on. When you fail at something, it’s easy to determine that this isn’t for you, you suck, and the world is a bully! But I’m sure you’ve seen the memes and articles about how many famous people failed before they succeeded. You just need to take some of the sting out of that word and put it in perspective.

When you feel you failed, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have completely failed. It doesn't mean that there is absolutely no hope that you will ever recover or be good at what you want to do. It means that for that particular project, it may not have been the right time, the right format, etc.. Without a failure here and there, we would not get better at what we are doing. We would not learn and grow or take risks to try again.

There are also times when the project didn’t fail per se, but we felt we fell short of the perfection we thought it would be. Try to temper that supercritical side of yourself and show your work, see how it is received. Welcome the feedback and constructive criticism, as hard as that can. be. Take that chance, and you may be surprised! If, at the end of the day, you don’t see success coming from a certain project, it’s OK! Very few people are great at something on the first try, but keep trying!

It is not easy or fun when a project doesn’t do well. You have every right to throw a full temper tantrum and be angry, feel rejected, or sad. Of course, you will! For me, when something goes wrong in my life, I give myself a day to just freak out and feel all of my feelings. I cry, I get angry, and I listen to metal music to release the stress. Then, when I wake up the next day, I have a heart-to-heart with myself and figure out how to move forward. I feel the best way to enjoy life is to take the hits but just keep pushing forward.

When starting your next project, think about how you’ll feel if it doesn’t go well. Will the world hate you? Will the world cease spinning? Will your friends and family abandon you? Will a meteor crash down on your head in retaliation for your bad work? No! The more ridiculous you make the consequences sound, the more you will realize that life will go on no matter how the project turns out. What will happen is that you will learn, you will listen to the feedback, and you will try again. This time, you may try a different medium, a different point of view, or a different writing technique altogether.

Whatever you do, KEEP CREATING!!!!

Imagine this world if everyone felt they had failed at their first try and quit. This world would be devoid of many beautiful things! It would be in need of the love and passion that comes from creating. The world needs you to pick yourself up and try again!

Show Your Work and Steal Like an Artist, both by Austn Kleon have helped me understand that we don't always do great when we first start out. That you need to learn and practice as you go. The more you do the better you get!

What do you want to create? If your project isn’t well received, how would you move forward? Please comment below!