The great Broadway director, Harold Clurman, had a lot to say about failure. (Google Clurman, you'd love his impassioned enthusiasm.
The history of the theatre is the history of lousy plays… You can’t have good plays unless you have a lot of bad ones. In other words, unless there’s activity. Unless you’re producing…People ask me, why don’t we have more good plays? Why don’t you ask why don’t we have more BAD plays! Because if we have more bad plays, we’ll have more good plays. Because that’s the manure that makes things grow!
Everybody always asks me… what happened the last time? What do you mean what happened last time? You had a flop! Don’t ask me what happened the last time I had a flop! What happened the last time I had a success! Because a success is a rarity in the theatre, and a flop is the norm
— from Harold Clurman, a Life of Theatre (American Masters Series)
Oh I love this so much!!!! YES!!! I am keeping this quote and holding it close! So grateful you shared. Thanks for the many many ways you encourage and inspire.
I SO understand feeling like you’re bad at math because you didn’t understand algebra immediately. It wasn’t until a tutor in college told me I wasn’t bad at math, just impatient with myself so made mistakes, that I began to change my view of myself.
I LOVE your books, and can’t wait to order this one! Thank you for reminding us that failure is something that can be celebrated.
Carly, thank you! Yes, I feel like a simple reframing of my adventures struggling with algebra would’ve been hugely helpful for me! Beyond that, there’s so many other ways I’ve avoided failure of been ashamed of failures. Realizing they’re shareable and can be helpful has given me courage for the future and compassion for the past!
This book idea is so amazingly wonderful, incredible, and inspiring! I am a retired elementary librarian. I would've had failabrations in my classes the first week of school. Now I'm executive director of a literacy council that helps adults with literacy skills. So many feel like failures because they can't read due to circumstances beyond their control. I'm ordering this book to share with them. I love your pin and would give one to all our adult students! Thank you for all your books!
Tracie! Yes yes yes!!! Educators like you are exactly why this idea has grown. I was working on a completely different book, yet paused to do this. It was conversations with people working directly with kids (and adults) who were being held back by perceived failures and fear. So grateful for you and all the ways you help people grow and help others grow!!! What a gift!!
Great idea! Wish I could do more than support the process and the result! Much success to you and your wife on your latest (non) FAIL-A-THON adventure!
Congratulations on the success of Fail-a-bration! As a creative I've had many 'failures' which have informed future efforts that were not failures as a result. Very happy for you! x
I think that might be due to the win/lose mentality so prevalent in society. Someone who fails - whether in business, politics or education is stigmatized.
It’s been really encouraging to see how eager educators and leaders have been to have these conversations. Popping that bubble of perfection and allowing space for human connection!
The great Broadway director, Harold Clurman, had a lot to say about failure. (Google Clurman, you'd love his impassioned enthusiasm.
The history of the theatre is the history of lousy plays… You can’t have good plays unless you have a lot of bad ones. In other words, unless there’s activity. Unless you’re producing…People ask me, why don’t we have more good plays? Why don’t you ask why don’t we have more BAD plays! Because if we have more bad plays, we’ll have more good plays. Because that’s the manure that makes things grow!
Everybody always asks me… what happened the last time? What do you mean what happened last time? You had a flop! Don’t ask me what happened the last time I had a flop! What happened the last time I had a success! Because a success is a rarity in the theatre, and a flop is the norm
— from Harold Clurman, a Life of Theatre (American Masters Series)
Oh I love this so much!!!! YES!!! I am keeping this quote and holding it close! So grateful you shared. Thanks for the many many ways you encourage and inspire.
I SO understand feeling like you’re bad at math because you didn’t understand algebra immediately. It wasn’t until a tutor in college told me I wasn’t bad at math, just impatient with myself so made mistakes, that I began to change my view of myself.
I LOVE your books, and can’t wait to order this one! Thank you for reminding us that failure is something that can be celebrated.
Carly, thank you! Yes, I feel like a simple reframing of my adventures struggling with algebra would’ve been hugely helpful for me! Beyond that, there’s so many other ways I’ve avoided failure of been ashamed of failures. Realizing they’re shareable and can be helpful has given me courage for the future and compassion for the past!
Ooooh “compassion for the past.” Love that idea.
So excited about this!! Just submitted my form to host a Fail-a-bration 🥳
I can't wait to see how you failabrate!!! Thank you, Maryn!!!
This book idea is so amazingly wonderful, incredible, and inspiring! I am a retired elementary librarian. I would've had failabrations in my classes the first week of school. Now I'm executive director of a literacy council that helps adults with literacy skills. So many feel like failures because they can't read due to circumstances beyond their control. I'm ordering this book to share with them. I love your pin and would give one to all our adult students! Thank you for all your books!
Tracie! Yes yes yes!!! Educators like you are exactly why this idea has grown. I was working on a completely different book, yet paused to do this. It was conversations with people working directly with kids (and adults) who were being held back by perceived failures and fear. So grateful for you and all the ways you help people grow and help others grow!!! What a gift!!
"Failure is an experience, not an identity." A line worth holding on to!
Great idea! Wish I could do more than support the process and the result! Much success to you and your wife on your latest (non) FAIL-A-THON adventure!
🥳🤩😝 So excited for you both xx
Deborah! Thank you! Always fun anytime you’re part of the party. Sending you big love from TN
Congratulations on the success of Fail-a-bration! As a creative I've had many 'failures' which have informed future efforts that were not failures as a result. Very happy for you! x
Brad, Thank you for your continued encouragement!
Right back at YOU, Marc! Excited to hear stories from you kids!
Great idea! Failures are learning experiences, opportunities to grow. They don’t condemn us as losers.
I’ve been learning how true that is and yet how little we talk about it!
I think that might be due to the win/lose mentality so prevalent in society. Someone who fails - whether in business, politics or education is stigmatized.
It’s been really encouraging to see how eager educators and leaders have been to have these conversations. Popping that bubble of perfection and allowing space for human connection!