The past, the present and future walk into a bar. It was tense.

Rubber Ducky Copywriter

6 Things to Remember When You‘re Afraid of Making Mistakes

Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection.
Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same.
– Lois McMaster Bujold, American Sci-Fi Fiction and Fantasy Author

I start this post by noticing that I’ve been inconsistently formatting my lede quotes here at Rubber Ducky Copywriter. Some have quotation marks around them; others don’t. Oooooops.

First, I’m embarrassed. I’ve been writing for the web since 2001 and been a commercial copywriter since 2007. Shouldn’t I be past making such tiny mistakes by now?

But then I remember – Rubber Ducky Copywriter and my professional website, HayesCopywriting, are my first real steps in building my own commercial online presence. This is the first time I’m doing things my way without regard to company guidelines. So yes, I make mistakes.

I could let it get to me. I could get discouraged. I could berate myself.

Worse, I could quit.

Instead, I’m going to examine the cause (lack of my own style standard), make a decision (no quotation marks in this format) and move on.

The same goes for you. When you’re just starting out, remember:

  • Your career and your writing are organic, always changing.
  • Your online presence will always be a work in progress.
  • Even gurus make mistakes (I’ve seen some typos).
  • You will make mistakes – they don’t always last forever.
  • You will succeed – they, too, don’t always last forever.
  • Learning from your mistakes will bring about more successes.

At the time of this post, Rubber Ducky Copywriter and HayesCopywriting are adequate for their respective purposes. I’m proud of what I’ve created. Both can still be better, but they’re already better than when I first created them.

I’m pretty comfortable with some of my mistakes. And I’m going to leave my inconsistent quotes where they are (they give my blog character).

Mistakes are inevitable, so don’t let fear hold you back. Forge ahead anyway and then enjoy your well-deserved successes. Take one step towards your goal. Today. Let us know how it goes.

Keep paddlin’,
Rubber Ducky

One response to “6 Things to Remember When You‘re Afraid of Making Mistakes”

  1. 6 Things I’ve Learned in My First 6 Months as a Freelance Copywriter | Rubber Ducky Copywriter Avatar
    6 Things I’ve Learned in My First 6 Months as a Freelance Copywriter | Rubber Ducky Copywriter

    […] will screw up. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’ve talked myself out of a gig, lost contact with a valuable connection and plunged into a […]

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Hello,

I’m Erica Wall.

Erica Wall, Rubber Ducky Copywriter

Award-winning copywriter.
Real-world creative writer.
Multi-cup-a-day coffee drinker.

Answers to a cat.

Present and ready to write.

Resolutions for 2026

  • Block off three hours a week to write
  • Delegate more to reduce overwhelm
  • Clean up and clean out home office
  • Practice finishing what I start
  • Practice good habits and let results be whatever they’ll be

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
> Stephen King

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” 
> Ernest Hemingway

“Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke.” 
> F. Scott Fitzgerald

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
> Douglas Adams

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” 
>Albert Einstein