I Failed 100 Times Before I Got It Right
I Failed 100 Times
I Failed 100 Times Before I Got It Right
Failure is something most people are afraid of. It feels bad, it makes us doubt ourselves, and sometimes, it makes us want to give up. But what if I told you that failing 100 times was the best thing that ever happened to me? This is the story of how I failed again and again—and how those failures helped me finally get it right.
The First Dream
Ever since I was a child, I loved drawing. I would sit for hours with a pencil and paper, sketching cartoons, animals, people—anything that came to mind. I dreamed of becoming an artist, someone who created beautiful illustrations for books or movies. I believed that one day, my drawings would be seen by the world.
So, when I finished school, I decided to apply to art college. I put all my best drawings into a portfolio and sent it in with high hopes. A few weeks later, I got the letter: rejected. I was heartbroken.
But I didn’t give up.
Trying Again and Again
I told myself, “Maybe my work wasn’t good enough—yet.” I kept practicing. I watched tutorials, read books, and sketched every day. The next year, I applied again. Rejected again.
This happened five years in a row. Each time, I tried harder. Each time, I heard “no.”
Friends started to say maybe I should try something else. My parents worried I was wasting time. Deep inside, I also had doubts. But I just couldn’t let the dream go. I loved art too much to stop.
I applied to freelance websites. No one hired me. I tried selling drawings online. No one bought them. I entered contests. I lost all of them. At one point, I told myself, “Maybe I’m just not good enough.”
But still, I didn’t stop.
The 50th Failure
At one point, I counted all my failures. Fifty job rejections. Twenty contests lost. Thirty clients who never replied. That’s 100 failures in total.
I wanted to quit.
One night, I sat in my room and looked at a blank paper for hours. No ideas came. My confidence was gone. I felt like all those hours, months, and years were wasted.
Then something strange happened.
I picked up my old sketchbook—the first one I made when I was 13. The drawings were simple, even bad. But they were full of joy. I could feel my younger self in those pages, dreaming big, having fun.
That’s when I realized: I was too focused on success and forgot why I started.
Changing the Way I Saw Failure
From that day, I stopped chasing “likes” or “sales.” I drew because I loved it. I started posting one drawing a day on social media—no pressure, no expectations.
The first few posts got very little attention. But after a few weeks, someone shared one of my drawings. A few days later, a small children’s book publisher messaged me. They asked if I could illustrate a short story.
I was shocked. I had failed 100 times, and now, finally, someone wanted my work.
The First Small Win
That first project didn’t pay much, but I gave it everything I had. I worked day and night, carefully drawing each page. The book was published online, and soon, more messages came in.
People began asking me to draw their pets, create cartoon avatars, and even design logos. Bit by bit, I started earning money from what I loved.
It wasn’t a big break, but it was a start.
More Fails, But Bigger Growth
Even then, things didn’t go perfectly. I still made mistakes. One time, I missed a deadline and lost a client. Another time, I submitted work that wasn’t accepted. But now, I didn’t fear failure. I knew that every mistake made me better.
With every failed job, I learned something new:
Fail #101 taught me how to manage time.
Fail #102 taught me to read contracts carefully.
Fail #103 reminded me to ask questions before starting a project.
I wasn’t afraid of the word “no” anymore. I welcomed it, because I knew it meant I was still trying.
The Big Break
Then, one day, I got an email from a publishing company in Canada. They had seen my daily drawings and wanted me to illustrate a full children’s book. It was a real, printed book that would be sold in stores.
I cried.
This was the dream I had waited for. The book came out six months later with my name on the cover. When I held the printed copy in my hands, I thought about all the failures, all the times I almost gave up. And I smiled.
Looking Back
Now, I’ve illustrated seven books, worked with dozens of clients, and have over 100,000 followers on social media. But people often tell me, “You’re so talented! You’re lucky!”
What they don’t see are the 100 times I failed.
They don’t see the nights I cried, the jobs I didn’t get, the drawings no one liked. But all of that was part of the journey. Every failure was a lesson, every “no” was a step closer to the “yes” that changed everything.
Why I Share This Story
I share this not to show off, but to remind you: It’s okay to fail. In fact, it’s necessary.
Failure doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It means you’re learning, growing, trying. Success isn’t about never falling. It’s about getting back up—100 times if you have to.
Whatever your dream is—writing, cooking, teaching, singing, building—don’t give up after one failure. Or ten. Or fifty. You never know if failure #99 is leading to success #100.
Final Message
Today, I’m living my dream. But it didn’t come easy. It came after I failed again and again.
So, if you feel stuck, if people doubt you, if you’re tired of trying—just remember this:
I failed 100 times before I got it right.
And if I can do it, so can you.
About the Creator
Ali Asad Ullah
Ali Asad Ullah creates clear, engaging content on technology, AI, gaming, and education. Passionate about simplifying complex ideas, he inspires readers through storytelling and strategic insights. Always learning and sharing knowledge.
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