David Limrite-Artist, Coach, Mentor, Teacher

“The most demanding part of living a lifetime as an artist is the strict discipline of forcing oneself to work steadfastly along the nerve of one’s own most intimate sensitivity.” ~Anne Truitt, Artist

I don’t think courage comes naturally to most artists. I was not born with courage. Especially when it came to taking risks with my art. I had to learn to be courageous. I had to practice being brave. I have had to battle countless fears every time I entered the studio. Still do. I always have brave intentions when I begin to create, however, sometimes intentions are not enough.

It takes courage.

It takes showing up on a regular basis and staying put until something happens.

It requires taking risks. Lots of them.

Every time you take a risk and try something that may be out of your comfort zone, you become a bit more confident to take the next risk. Whether that first risk worked out or not. If you try something risky and it works, you become a little bit more courageous. If it doesn’t work, you learned something, which also builds confidence and courage. It’s a win-win.

Learning courage also requires that you start before you are ready. I used to feel as if I had to be prepared before I could begin to create and take risks. As a result, I never got anything done and never took any risks. I found that I spent more time preparing to work rather than actually working. We are never fully prepared. Ever!

The more you show up and work (rather than spending time preparing to work, or worse yet, waiting until you are ready) the more courage you will begin to acquire. Which will allow you take bigger and bigger risks. Which will infuse you with greater amounts of confidence to push your art further and further.

Best, David