But (don’t worry!) we won’t be dwelling here on my personal hang-ups. The universal truth behind my specific issues is that most of us invest a lot of energy, one way or another, in trying to avoid fully experiencing the reality in which we find ourselves. We don’t want to feel the anxiety that might arise if we were to ask ourselves whether we’re

I stopped needing to run from myself. But this process is hard and when people tell me they are scared of losing their edge, this is what they are really afraid of. They fear letting go of strategies, often enacted years ago, that help them feel safe, and that let them avoid facing what’s underneath. They are uncomfortable not having a plan and hav

While the emotional undercurrents of self-doubt can serve the art, they can also interfere with the creative process. Beginning a work, completing a work, and sharing a work—these are key moments where many of us become stuck. How do we move forward, considering the stories we tell ourselves? One of the best strategies is to lower the stakes.