Mr. Della Femina, who grew up with a learning disability, shared his secrets about creativity. My advice to anybody who wants to be creative is to get into something that will fail. Most people are afraid to fail, but once you've done it you find out it's not that terrible. There's a sense of freedom that you get from taking chances. What a powerful suggestion.
Failure is such an uncomfortable concept.
We do such acrobatics to avoid it at all costs. We prejudge our efforts, censor, imagine public criticism, and limit our choices. I wonder how we can harness Mr. Della Femina's words in our efforts to consult with our children when they face challenges in life. Randye E. Cohen is a lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Dartmouth's Hitchcock Medical Center and a psychotherapist in private practice in Vermont. Her column is not a substitute for therapy.