Is there something you’ve been wanting to try?
Do you long to learn something new?
Do you wonder whether it’s okay for you to noodle around on a guitar, or sign up for a drawing class, or try your hand at growing succulents?
I’m wondering … Why shouldn’t you?
When you ask yourself why you shouldn’t, the list probably tumbles out:
- I’ve never really played an instrument before.
- I’m not good enough to be a professional illustrator.
- Neither of my thumbs are green.
And the list goes on. Let’s look at the reasons, though, really look at them. It turns out they’re are all the same.
I’m afraid I might fail.
Somewhere along the way, we cross an invisible line of adulthood. When we do, something terrible happens. We misplace up our permission slip. We decide we’re only allowed to do things at which we will not fail. How do we know we won’t fail? Because we built that skill set when we were kids … back when it was okay to fail.
Don’t miss this … it’s important.
To learn new skills, you MUST fail. You have to try that guitar chord and let it buzz and twang as your fingers build new muscles they don’t yet have. You have to draw a street scene in wonky perspective to learn what your artist eyes don’t yet see. Should kids be the only ones with permission slips for failure? Should you spend 16 or 18 years of your life learning and the rest only repeating those things you already know how to do?
I’d like to give you a permission slip.
I’m giving it to you because sometimes I need one too. Your permission slip doesn’t have qualifiers, such as:
- You may fail as long as you turn your failure into something beautiful
- You may never fail in the same way twice
- You must immediately see what each failure has taught you
Consider the one year old who is learning to walk. Even if she falls down a hundred times, she will keep pushing herself to her feet and trying again. She knows that eventually she will walk, it’s only a matter of time. She’s not keeping score, moving toward an ultimatum. “If I can’t walk without falling down by tomorrow, then …”
Then what?
We all need a permission slip because every once in a while we need a reminder that it’s truly okay to be right where we are, smack dab in the middle of our messy learning process. It’s okay for us to try and fail and try and fail, and then take a break and try again. And it’s okay to decide after a while that the guitar isn’t for you. Just make sure you’re not putting the guitar down as a punishment for your lack of super-star skill. Your permission slip doesn’t expire.
You are allowed to be a learner.
In fact, being a learner makes you an interesting, attractive person. When you publicly share your learner status, you give others permission to be learners too. What if being a learner was catching? What if because you decided to take voice-over lessons, your best friend decided to try writing a picture book? And what if her brother, while watching her write a picture book, signed up for an animation course? And what if one day that picture book was published and as a team, the three of you, plus a few new friends, created an animated short feature … which not only was a joyful collaboration but ended up inspiring a whole classroom of students to try writing stories of their own … and on and on and on it could go.
Let’s pass out permission slips this week.
No, honestly. Let’s actually do it. Let’s hand-write permission slips and leave them for loved ones to find. Slip them under pillows or into lunch bags. Let’s help one another see that we do, in fact, have permission. Let’s remind one another that it’s truly okay to play around, to experiment. And while you’re at it, make a permission slip for yourself, too. Decide what outrageous thing you’re going to try, not because you’re going to take this on as your new career, but because you want to give it a whirl. I’d love to hear how it goes. Will you tell me the story below in the comments? Or you can tell me on Facebook or Twitter. Anywhere, really. I’d love to hear your permission slip story. I can’t wait to cheer you on as you play around and have some fun. Go ahead. You have permission.
—
Psst… Do you know about Naomi’s Tinder Box: a weekly collection of curated resources, inspiration and encouragement? Keep your creative spark ablaze … sign up for exclusive access here.
