It’s OK to be wrong
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” ~Patti Digh, Creative Is a Verb
Do critics and perfectionists test your patience? These are the control freaks who like to point out the crooked seams on your brand-new shirt, for example, or correct other people’s errors in casual conversation. Always right, they won’t consider an opposing viewpoint — even if it’s as clear as daylight. I’ll bet you know a few of them too — and would agree they’re not so much fun to be around.
The fear of being wrong, or appearing wrong, is a buzzkill for just about everything. Today’s quote reminds us that creativity involves risk and adventure, which can lead to making a few mistakes.
Living a full, juicy, creative life requires true humility — and a willingness to risk error or disappointment. As I tell everyone in my writing workshops, the quickest way to overcome the paralysis of writer’s block is to stamp out your fear of being wrong. The sure path to joy — in anything you do — is getting over yourself and being humanly imperfect. ~CL
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
