An Open Letter to 2022

Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Creative Process.

In The Simpsons episode titled “Bart gets an F” Bart failed continually at school. The failures tallied up so high Bart was threatened if he did not pass his next history exam, he will fail the year and be held back.

The fear lit a fire under Bart and he began to study for the first time in his life. Later in the episode, Bart completes the test and nervously waits for Mrs. Krabappel to mark up the paper.

To Barts surprise, he fails. Bart's distraught. Mrs. Krabappel asks why this failure is different from any other one? 

Bart replied with: “This is as good as I could do, and I still failed!” Implying failing when you expect to fail is easier but to apply yourself and still fail cuts deeper than most wounds. 

I never forgot this lesson. There was a comfort in half-assing because if it didn’t work out we could always fall back on “well, I didn’t give it my all.” 

That’s a cop-out. 

I was afraid of being ridiculed as being a bad writer. 

Writing was the only thing I cared about.

It’s the only thing I still care about.

I wanted to make this post to encourage you to try. To fail. 

To give it your all despite the odds stacked against you. 

I’m rooting for you. I sincerely mean that and if you don’t believe me shoot me a message on Instagram. or Twitter I want to follow your journey. 

Fail with me. You won’t become less afraid of failure but braver to take a chance. 

You’ll find your people and they’ll support you. 

You feel liberated to express yourself and connect on a level much deeper than “lol check out this meme.” 

You become a conduit of thought. A generator of new ideas and a place those who are afraid to publish will come to for inspiration. 

I hope you will join me. Let 2022 be the year we all grow into who we deserve to be. 

Be safe and Happy New year! 

Neurotically Yours,

• Lorne