Would you describe yourself as courageous? Probably not. Not many of us do. Yet courage is an attribute that I think all artists, writers and creative types must develop in order to create, revise, and ultimately launch their creations out into the world.

The word “courage” has as its root the French word, coeur, meaning heart. Attitudes of the heart are not always valued in our homes, our jobs or our world. Yet courage is a vital aspect of a creative person’s life.

The Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz

Years ago I read a book by Hilda Lee Dail called Lotus and the Pool: How to Create Your Own Career (Odyssey Guides). The author wrote beautifully about the courage needed to create. Here’s what she had to say:

The profound truth is that authentic creativity is an active battle with the gods. And this conflict breeds the fear that carries with it a feeling of guilt, the fear that we are guilty of breaking the status quo. We are acting like gods. How dare we be successful.

Commitment to truth is healthiest not when it is without doubt, but when it exists in spite of doubt. This is why creativity takes so much courage. . .courage is not the absence of despair; it is rather the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.

So I challenge us all to put aside our frustration and despair and do something remarkable. Exercise the courage you need to live a creative life and put your best offerings out into the world!

P.S. If you are doing something courageous, I’d love to hear about it.

P.P.S. Sometimes commenting on a blog, if you haven’t before, can be courageous!

Subscribe to this blog here.