Tea Time with Jo | Learning to Love My Typos

In a world were A.I. is being used to generate just about everything we see, seeing an “imperfection” is a reminder that a real person was behind the creation. As a recovering grammar snob, this is a lesson I am learning. 

I remember when I first started blogging, I would take so much time to proofread and always ask someone to also proofread my blog before posting. That gets kind of annoying because, sometimes, you have an idea for something you want to share, and you just want to get it out there as soon as you are done typing it up. Someone else isn’t always available to proofread right in that instant. 

The same happens with my newsletter. Even though I start building it as the month progresses, and re-read it several times, I don’t always catch everything. Of course it is glaringly obvious when the newsletter goes out and I read it in my inbox and realize I used “their” instead of “there” or something along those lines. 

As annoying as it might be, I’m learning to be ok with these minor errors as long as the message is still coming across. I find it kind of offensive that even my blogging platform now suggests using A.I. to write up a post. Especially since writing is not only a creative outlet for me but also a means of sharing knowledge. I am a sentient being that formulates thoughts and interpretations…A.I. will never be able to replicate that in the exact same way. 

I learned recently that editing social media posts, after it was posted originally, works against the algorithm. So it is actually better to leave it as-is and maybe leave a comment with an edit to what you meant to say. This was yet another gentle reminder that it is ok to not have the perfect grammar. Having typos lets you know that I am real and that it is actually me who is taking the time to sit down and type these words…even if they are incorrect sometimes. 

This lesson is rippling out into other parts of my life as well. I no longer stress if my hair is not perfectly smooth and free of frizz. I no longer care if my fingernails are free of polish. I let go of the worry of someone seeing a blemish pop up on my skin. The frizz, the nails and my skin are all reminders of my human-ness. I’d also like to clarify that, if you are someone who pays a lot of attention to your appearance and it makes you happy to have your hair done, your nails perfectly polished and your skin to look flawless, that’s good for you. The issue here is not whether you do or you don’t; it’s more so letting go of the feelings of inadequacy when things aren’t perfect. 

Are there any areas of your life where you too are learning to soften and not be so hard on yourself about? What are you finding helpful in this endeavor? I’d love to hear all about it.