Let it Get Messy!

On a recent episode of a television comedy, one character advised another: Get out there and let it get messy! He was referring to dating, but this advice is powerfully potent for us all. Fear of making a mess, fear of making a mistake, fear of errors, confusion, and slip-ups can keep us paralyzed. Then, once a mistake is made, we keep ourselves penned up in regret. “Get out there and let it get messy.” This means in your art, in your promotions efforts, in your dreaming and actualization of your dreams. Messes will be made, that's how we make discoveries, uncover paths, create styles, genres, and futures. I find in my own life, my habit of avoiding mess can be so well entrenched, that I don’t even notice myself holding back, avoiding mess. I’m taking on that challenge this year. Let it get messy. Which doesn’t mean to run out searching for mess, but it does mean follow those whisperings of your heart, those creative urges and curious wonderings, and when the only thing holding you back is fear of error—set aside that fear, and let it get messy.