Do it scared.
There are few emotions more paralytic than fear; but I’ve found the opposite to be true as well- that there are few motivators more galvanizing than the lack of a safety net.
Whether you have the drive to make something of yourself, feel motivated to make art you feel deeply, or simply have to make rent, you don’t always get the luxury of doing things confidently. You learn to live with the fear and do the damn thing anyways.
Steven Pressfield says, “The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”
No good art happens without a little risk. Whenever I feel settled, confident, sure of where I am, it forces me to take stock. If I’m not a little scared, I’m probably not risking enough/trying enough/putting myself out there enough.
And it’s not just art that requires a little risk- every aspect of living and working in a creative industry necessitates it. Cold-emailing, pitching a new client, or learning a new skill or service that will improve the business all require you put aside your fear and commit to doing something first, and worrying about it later.
If you find yourself struggling to conquer your fear, just do the thing scared. Fear wants to run you in circles, so the best thing you can do is just keep going. If the option is succeed and still be scared or fail and still be scared, I know which one I’m picking.
links i like:
Ray Bradbury talking about space travel and god.
A lovely book of ruminations and photo-making prompts- every photographer should have this on their shelf.
In January of 2021 I realized I had stopped seeking out new music- every old person listens to the same albums they liked at age 22, and this realization galvanized me to not grow complacent. As a result, I’ve made a monthly playlist ever since- it’s a way of processing what the current moment feels like, and of staying connected to artists I wouldn’t have found otherwise. The rule is it doesn’t have to be all new music, just new finds. Check out the March playlist here.