Failure? Count me in!

For a very long time I thought the meaning of this quote was asking the question, “What dream could I fulfill if I had a guarantee of success?” I was wrong. After my recent Master Class I realized the power of changing my viewfinders. The self-curated class title was “Creativity Only Happens When I Show Up Every Day and Love What I Do Enough Not To Demand To Be Paid Or Let The Possibility of Failure Stop Me”. It was taught with the wisdom and generosity and guidance of books, podcasts, newsletters, Youtube videos, online classes, free Facebook live demos and the love of my tribe. The real magic of the process was how each teacher led to another one; each podcast and book seemed somehow connected. They had no clue what I was doing or why or even how, but supported my efforts while I hunkered down with my cat for several months after my job was eliminated due to the Pandemic.  I want to credit all of my teachers and apologize for anyone I may have omitted. I have linked you to them here where possible.

I have been searching for the words to thank you for sharing your encouragement for my creative life. I found those words in Jessa Crispin’s The Dead Ladies Project.
“It shot out a spark into the distance that I could then build a path toward.” In a very real way, you all share credit for the building of awriterwrites.net. You have my gratitude.

Seth Godin,   Andy J. Pizza,   My brilliant father who taught me to love reading

and took me to the public library,   Daniel Pink,  Julia Cameron,  Elizabeth Gilbert,

Ellen Sandler,  Lisa Congdon,  Anne Lamott,  Dina Wakley,

My second grade teacher, Mrs. Cephise Thompson,  Patti Digh,  Tiffany Goff Smith,   

Carolyn Dube,  Lorri Marie Jenkins,  Austin Kleon,  Leah Hager Cohen

And P.S. – Here are 3 of my favorite failures:

*The ten years I spent writing a book/screenplay/documentary about George Washington’s slave/companion/fellow soldier Billy Lee, but never finished

*Two art galleries I opened named Very Jeri for local artists including myself that were not able to support me

*A serious relationship that didn’t work out, but  lives on in my heart today in happy memories