The creative life may be one of saying “yes,” but it necessarily also is one of saying “no.” To say “yes” to one thing is to say “no” to another thing. Both answers are frightening; the one incurs risk, and the other closes doors.
success
Say Yes
The other day, I had the opportunity to hear Kat Edmonson, a jazz singer, talk about her singing career. She posited that the creative life is one of saying “yes” and of being willing to take opportunities and chances. I share her sentiments toward the creative life, so it was a joy to listen to her speak about her own journey.
Precipices and the Creative Life
To be a writer (insert “artist,” “musician,” et cetera) is to embrace fear. It’s to embrace a fear of failure. It’s to embrace a fear of success. It’s to embrace a fear of the known and the unknown.
Get Back Up
If I’ve learned anything about falling and failure, it’s that I have to get up. I can’t stay on my knees. I can’t cling to the crumpled remnants of failed poems. I can’t hoard unsuccessful blog posts.