September 25

Creative Bravery

Creative bravery exists when you believe in a better possible future and you believe you have the ability to bring it about. It is at the intersection of optimism and agency that your best work emerges. Without optimism, it’s easy to slip into futility or nihilism and fail to see how even your most brilliant ideas would matter. Without a sense of agency, you will never put the effort into the work necessary to put it into the world, because you don’t believe you’re capable.

When you operate at the intersection of optimism and agency, you are a powerful creative force. Your narrative is one of hope and possibil- ity rather than frustration and pointlessness.

Cynicism, which is often an indicator of a lack of optimism, is corro- sive to the creative process. You must guard your heart against it.

As you consider your mindset today, where do you lack either opti- mism or agency? Is there any place where you struggle to see a better possible future or where you don’t believe you have the ability to help bring it about?

When you operate squarely at the intersection of these two powerful forces, your best and bravest work will result.

Creative bravery is forged at the intersection of optimism and a sense of personal agency.

QUESTION

Where do you lack either optimism or a sense of agency at the moment? How can you remedy it?