I'll answer your second question first.
Thought #2
Perfectionism kept me from posting, and even writing, for a long time. There definitely was a perfection paralysis going on. Then, I had a personal revelation. I realized it was okay to suck. I didn't have to do everything right the first time.
The first time I submitted a challenge entry, I probably sat with my finger next to the "send" button for five minutes. It took a lot of courage to submit. Were it not for the attitude of "screw it, what's the worst that could happen?", I might still be hovering over the send button today.
As far as stories today, there comes a point when you can only work on something for so long before you beat the life out of it. It's that perfection paralysis rearing its ugly head again. The most powerful words in the English language may be "oh, screw it." Because then I hit the send button and release it into the universe. if it's lousy, or if there are mistakes some eagle-eyed reader points out, I can always go back and make edits.
This is a life lesson, too, that applies to everything. My life isn't a finished document. I can always rewrite and edit, and even change the ending. There's immense freedom in allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Thought #1
Not sure exactly how Oscar Wilde meant "misbehave." I interpret it as breaking out of a role that society and families have assigned for us. Certain expectations are always on us. Doing something differently, is that misbehaving? I'm just a middle-aged girl living with cats. Does that mean I'm not supposed to have a creative life? Maybe to some. If I demand a creative life, if I tell ignore other people's expectations, is that misbehaving? And who judges what is misbehaving anyway?
I'll look forward to seeing what other folks think about #1.
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"If it's worth doing, it's worth doing badly."
"The failure in doing something is stopping too soon."