Every artist, in some capacity, wants to be seen. As artists (and as humans) we ask, “Look at how I view the world. Look how I express myself. See me. Acknowledge me.”
Any visibility, though, comes with vulnerability — to criticism, to analysis, to heartbreak.
I love that the word courage comes from the Old French corage, meaning Old French “heart, innermost feelings.” See encourage/encouragement, too: it ties together courage (in the root) and hope (in its meaning). Heart originally meant soul, will, or courage (even though it’s derived from Old English, not Old French). Think of “take heart,” which is interchangeable with “take courage”.
You can’t really separate the two.
To create is to be visible; to create is to be vulnerable. Create anyway.
