“Creativity takes courage.”

Henri Matisse

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This is an unconventional Valentine’s Day post, but it’s a love letter nonetheless…dedicated to my fellow creatives. I’ve been feeling a bit paralyzed lately after embarking on a project that scares me a bit, and another one that I’m gearing up to announce. Sentiments of self-doubt and unworthiness have reared their ugly heads in the face of these new challenges, and I’m sharing my struggle knowing most of you will relate. I recently discovered this interview between Lin-Manuel Miranda and Stephen Sondheim, and took a few key notes from it. Sondheim says, “You have to work on something that makes you feel uncertain. Something that makes you doubt yourself. If you know where you’re going, you’ve gone, as the poet says. And that’s death.” To succeed, we must open ourselves up to new opportunities and accept the vulnerability that accompanies them. Believing in yourself and your talents is at the core of every new endeavor, don’t you think? I’d love to learn about your creative struggles and triumphs, if you’re willing to share in the comments. I’ll close with one more quote from another great artist, David Bowie: “Go a little out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” Love and courage mes amis.

p.s. – this awesome graffiti art is the work of Philly-based Amberella