March 8

A reason that many people never step out into the unknown and try something risky is that they are afraid of rejection. There is a narrative playing in their minds that equates who they are with what they do, and the potential of having their self-image violated is simply too much to bear.

They would rather live with perceived invulnerability than take a chance and discover they have limits.

However, the brave souls who are willing to share what they see, make, and think, even if it is incomplete and imperfect, are the ones who move us all forward. The person who speaks up in a meeting, who makes art as a form of protest, or who shows up every single day to do the work (ignoring the gravitational pull of mediocrity) pulls everyone else along with them up the rugged mountain.

I say it’s better to appear a fool than to abdicate your contribution and deeply regret your choices. It’s impossible for everything you make to be great, but one thing I do know is this: brilliance demands bravery.

If you make things and share them, your heart will at some point be broken. If you never share, it will harden. Your choice.

Be brave today, friends. Do something that matters to you.

In what way do you need to be brave today? How can being brave today create change for you?