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“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse - Why does it take courage?

“Creativity takes courage” – these beautiful words of Henri Matisse ring true for every artist. Creativity as we call it is inherent in all of us, whether we believe it or not. Search inside yourself, and you will be surprised to see your mind buzzing with ideas. However, it does take a lot of boldness to freely express your ideas and put it in front of the world. In fact, for many of us, our creativity is somehow diluted by the pressure to conform to societal norms or our fear of being judged. So he who is free of this fear, can truly be called an artist. After all, a true artist is someone who doesn’t conform to what the world says, but focuses more on what he feels and expresses through his art.

Anyone will tell you that opinions in this world are very subjective in nature. Something that draws great admiration from one section might face a lot of flak from the other. In short, it is difficult to make everyone happy at the same time. Hence many of us hesitate to freely share our thoughts and ideas due to the fear of censure. After all, you are sharing something that is very close to your heart, and to see it getting panned would surely make you cringe. As a result, the very fear of being judged or rejected prompts many to not try at all. Look around and you will find hundreds of people who decided to let go of their ideas because they didn’t have the courage to put a spotlight on them.

In today’s technologically advanced world, people are able to access information at the click of a button. Your ideas now have a far wider reach compared to yesteryears.  Whether you are a writer, musician, artist or film director, once your work is out there for everyone to see, there is no hiding. If you didn’t execute your ideas well, you will face the consequences but there is no guarantee that even a good piece of work wouldn’t draw any derogatory comments.

As we said earlier, opinions differ, and people have a right to voice their opinion. So no matter how good or bad you are, you will be judged. However, should you let the fear of being judged deter you? Many would unwillingly say yes, but if you are true to yourself and your craft, you should not let that fear dictate how you express your ideas. Instead, you should try to build up the strength to take both praise and critique in your stride. No one should have the power to make you question your creativity if you truly believe in it. Even criticism should be taken positively to further hone your skills, but sometimes people are just mean irrespective of whether your work is good or bad. Learn how to ignore such people.

In the end, we would simply say that the manner in which you react to criticism is in your power. So inculcate positivity, learn to let go, and develop the resilience to bounce back with your full might after any negative episode.

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