Is a Fear of Spelling Keeping You From Success?

According to Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, the fear of being a bad speller is remarkably common in people who want to write but are blocked creatively.

It doesn’t matter that the fear is irrational; it doesn’t matter that every single word-processing program out there comes with a spell checker these days.

Regardless, the fear of not being able to spell still haunts writers. And thus, they remain blocked.

But the fear of spelling is just the tip of the iceberg. Pretty much every person who is blocked creatively suffer from some sort of fear.

Some fears are based on creative “myths” (all artists are broke, crazy, alcoholic, dying, etc.), some are based on things adults said to us as children, and some, like the fear of being a bad speller, appear to be based on nothing at all.

Regardless of where the fear came from, there’s no denying its power. And the harder it is to admit to a fear, the more potent it becomes.

After all, imagine trying to explain to someone that you can’t write because you can’t spell. You’d sound like an idiot! So, you don’t say anything. And because that fear goes unvoiced, it burrows deeper and deeper inside you, strengthening its power.

Some of the other more common “myth” fears blocking people include:

• I’ll be broke.
• I’ll go crazy.
• I’ll become impotent.
• I’ll become self-destructive.
• I’ll become sick.
• I’ll end up alone.
• I’ll be angry all the time.
• I can’t because it’s too late/I’m too old/too washed up/too something.

Remember, these fears are not necessarily true. There are plenty of creative people who are happy, well-adjusted, and making good money (some of them are even elderly).

You do NOT have to make a choice between being creative and having something negative happen. In fact, when you decide to be more creative, you’re choosing to enrich your life positively.

So what fears are blocking you? What’s keeping you from realizing your creative potential? Try keeping a journal for a few days or weeks to see if you can uncover and expose whatever it is.

Fears are like vampires—drag them into the light, and they burn up. But let them live in dark places, and they fester and grow.

So get your fears out into the open, even if all you do is write in your journal about it. That’s the first step to becoming more creative.

For more on getting over your fears, check out my “Love-Based Money and Mindset” book.