Alright, here’s the real deal. In the spirit of authenticity and complete transparency, I’m going to share a little secret with you. I know I’m supposed to show that I’m this amazing confident social media expert right now, but…

The Secret

I’m in the midst of officially launching my business and website and I’m totally nervous. I’ve spent months researching, creating, and implementing so many details and now… IT’S TIME!

My mind is racing with thoughts of self-doubt. Am I ready? Do I know enough? Who am I to start a business? Will people care about what I have to offer?

It’s easy to plan things and perfect them in our minds, but the moment comes when we must introduce our idea, our creation, to the world. It’s such a vulnerable thing to share something we’ve put so much of ourselves into.

Art, Vulnerability, and Courage

I have a lot of admiration for the gifted creatives who repeatedly subject themselves to possible rejection or apathy to their work. I picture the songwriter who waits for feedback every time he plays a new song he just wrote, the photographer who reveals some new images, or the writer who hits publish on another blog post.

To be an artist is absolutely courageous. Click & Tweet!

I love the definition that Brene′ Brown shares about the word courage.

The root of the word courage is cor– the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition that it does today. Courage originally meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.”

Isn’t that what an intentional creative does? He or she puts himself or herself into whatever is being created to add hope and value to the world – to make a difference.

I think if we can focus on serving others with our art and message instead of how people may perceive us our work, it will loosen the grip that fear has on us to keep us immobilized from taking risks. The world needs hope and beauty. People need connection and love. We can’t love without authenticity, without courage.

So, I’m going to move forward despite the fear and put my heart into Bold Red Creative, LLC. I’m going to listen, serve, and cheer you on!

What do you have to share with the world? Are you holding back or have you already taken the leap? If you’ve already taken the leap, are you ready to take it again?