The intention

James Joyce, the writer who eventually became world famous with the novel Ulysses, started in 1904 as a young writer with an essay about his own development as an artist and writer.

The approach

He tried to publish the essay called 'Portrait of an artist' but it was repeatedly rejected by newspapers and magazines.

After this initial disappointment, Joyce embarked on a novel. After he 900 pages, Joyce decided his writings were too conventional. He destroyed most of his manuscript.

The result

James Joyce started all over and spent 10 years into writing the novel which he eventually titled 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'. When the novel is published in 1916 Joyce was referred to as one of the most promising new writers in English literature.

The learning moment

Joyce . says about his experiences as a writer:: ‘A man’s errors are his portals of discovery’.

His good friend and writer/poet Samuel Beckett also describes a beautiful experience with the words: To be an artist is to fail, as no other dare fail… Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’

Further:
See the full (anglophone) items “Failures as portals of creative discovery” by Bas Ruyssenaars and Paul Iske in the publication O.K. Failure, February 2009. The article can also be downloaded as a PDF from the news page of this website. The publication can be ordered via www.ok-periodicals.com.

Author: Bas Ruyssenaars

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