My New Year Wish


A decade ago, I wrote:
May your coming year befilled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read somefine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don'tforget  to  makesome art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can.And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.
And almost half a decade ago I said,
...I hope you will havea wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously,that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, thatyou will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will havepeople to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (becauseI think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the worldright now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that youwill always be kind.
And for this year, mywish for each of us is small and very simple.
And it's this.
I hope that in this yearto come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are makingmistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things,learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing yourworld. You're doing things you've never done before, and moreimportantly, you're Doing Something.
So that's my wish for you,and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Makeglorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worrythat it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art,or love, or work or family or life.
Whatever it is you'rescared of doing, Do it.
Make your mistakes, nextyear and forever.



Labels:  Happy New Year
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Published on December 31, 2011 06:58
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message 1: by Scout (new)

Scout Great post but you may want to check your grammar. (There are some spaces missing.)


message 2: by Paola (new)

Paola Colmenares Have another great year!


message 3: by Riah (new)

Riah I like this.


message 4: by Christopher (new)

Christopher James Thanks Neil, you always do good New Years - Last year I really took it to heart, and must say, for one of your fans t least, it came true. Happy New Year.


gardienne_du_feu What a lovely message. Thanks - and a Happy New Year to you, too!


message 6: by joanna (new)

joanna Leah wrote: "Great post but you may want to check your grammar. (There are some spaces missing.)"

leah, apologize to neil gaiman! i bet the spacing looks messed up because of the conversion of the texty computery gobbledygook from his original blog to goodreads. happy new year, you crazy (awesome) girl.


message 7: by Leah Rachel (new)

Leah Rachel von Essen joanna wrote: "Leah wrote: "Great post but you may want to check your grammar. (There are some spaces missing.)"

leah, apologize to neil gaiman! i bet the spacing looks messed up because of the conversion of th..."


Ahaha. Thank you, Joanna, but that's actually a different Leah! I would never correct Neil Gaiman on his grammar. I would just figure he meant it that way. But anyways. Ahaha. Happy new year to you too!!!


message 8: by Scout (new)

Scout joanna wrote: "Leah wrote: "Great post but you may want to check your grammar. (There are some spaces missing.)"

leah, apologize to neil gaiman! i bet the spacing looks messed up because of the conversion of th..."

Yeah, I would be that Leah (the one who corrected Neil Gaiman) and no I won't apologize. Happy New Year though.


Paigethelibrarian Hi Neil, I was so glad I read this, short, sweet, and inspirational message. It reminds me of the Magic School Bus when the teacher used to always say: Take chances, make mistakes, get messy! This year I will endeavor to do all three!


message 10: by Mike The Pirate (new)

Mike The Pirate I feel like I've made so many mistakes last year, in life, love, friendship, work and art, that I'm afraid to make anymore this year. My wish is that I will learn to accept the mistakes I've made, and if I continue to make them, that they will be ones that I can admit to whole heartedly. Thanks for the New Years Greeting, and by the way, I loved you on NPR's Wait Wait :)


message 11: by Rachel (new)

Rachel You silly people. Obviously his spacing mistakes are intentional. It's part of making new mistakes =.=


message 12: by Mallory (new)

Mallory This is just the push I needed. I've been thinking a lot about what the heck I should do with my life now that I'm out of school. I'm still trying to figure out my life, and I know it's a life-long process, but right now what I need is direction. Though I'm unsure of which way to go, I need to remember that it's ok to make mistakes because that's better than staying still. If I keep being so afraid to try new things, I'll never get anywhere. So thank you, Neil. Great message for all of us.


message 13: by Kristin (new)

Kristin Amen to that! I graduated almost 4 years ago, and I still feel that way Mallory.


message 14: by Paula (new)

Paula Zupke Leah wrote: "Great post but you may want to check your grammar. (There are some spaces missing.)"

On purpose? The entire paragraph was about mistakes, afterall


message 15: by Ashley (new)

Ashley Taylor I needed to read this today.


message 16: by Gina (new)

Gina thanks Neil, you made my day, as you have done many times before


message 17: by Don (new)

Don Wonderful.

May the New Year bring you the same, Mr. Gaiman! if that is the best that you wish upon us, it's only right to hope the same for you!


message 18: by Scout (last edited Jan 07, 2012 08:43AM) (new)

Scout Or you know, maybe, he messed up because nobody, not even an author, has perfect grammar.


message 19: by Lynsy (new)

Lynsy I needed this. Thank you!


message 20: by Magdalena (new)

Magdalena What an inspiring way to begin the year. No fear :)


message 21: by Leah Rachel (new)

Leah Rachel von Essen Leah wrote: "Or you know, maybe, he messed up because nobody, not even an author, has perfect grammar."

So right. :) No one can be right all of the time.


message 22: by Zuzana (new)

Zuzana Urbanek Nice post ... lovely sentiments. Wish doing it were all as easy as thinking and writing it, but the more we aspire, the more we can strive to make it happen. Hugs and happy year-ahead wishes, Mr. Gaiman!


message 23: by ??????? (new)

??????? I just want to say that your quote has been a real inspiration to me all year, and it's kept me going through some really rough times.

Thanks Neil.


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