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Take Heart

July 6, 2021

Graffiti in a bathroom stall: a monster next to text in all caps that says "You look great!"

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.

creativity

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A Note

You matter. You’re loved. And, just so you know, creativity belongs to every single one of us. It’s a human birthright.

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