Risk being ridiculed

In the past few months, I've been working at taking more risks especially when it comes to my work. I like to think I'm a risk taker but I can also be hesitant and get stuck worrying about the potential to be embarrassed. I've made some progress now but there's still a long way to go.

For me, this includes simple things like writing publicly, tweeting more, and sharing my work. It comes naturally to many but it never has to me. When it comes to the work I value, it always feels so personal and close to me that I feared how much any ridicule would hurt.

Recently I re-watched, Sing Street. It's one of my favourite movies of the past few years. It's got everything I love in movies: a coming of age story, some romance, music, and rebellion.

In one scene, the main character's older brother berates him for taking a safe route with his band, he says:

"Rock and roll is a risk. You risk being ridiculed"

That line has always stuck to me and I think it applies to makers as well as other creatives. Any creative work that's truly honest comes with a risk of being ridiculed. But what else can you do? Nothing great happens without some fear attempting to stop you. If you don't have the slightest bit of fear, I'd be more concerned.