Episode 19 - Courage - Stream of Art

We know all too well how much fear holds us back—both in art and in life. But what can we do to overcome it? In this episode, we talk about courage. We explore the difference between loud and quiet courage, discuss how courage looks different for everyone, and share ways to cultivate it in our lives. Robyn is feeling the effects of not sleeping enough and Michelle’s cold derails her week.

Recorded on April 14th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:28) Intro (0:43) Robyn's week (5:29) Michelle's week (8:52) Main topic: Courage (10:35) What constitutes a courageous act in society (13:44) Courage is about the feeling (17:18) What feels courageous shifts over time (18:24) People who big and why that doesn't work for everyone (25:29) The courage to answer what we're called to do (26:18) Cultivating courage (26:31) Fear as a signal (32:42) Premeditatio malorum (36:16) Making courage a habit (41:35) Being prepared - repetition leads to confidence, confidence leads to courage (46:34) Whether you can prepare or not depends on context (51:52) Video game tangent (57:32) Back on track (58:26) The courage needed to be honest with yourself (1:08:27) Some final notes on courage (1:15:19) Robyn's week ahead (1:17:16) Michelle's week ahead (1:20:04) Outro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Michelle’s blog post on courage: https://www.michellemonettemusic.com/post/cultivating-the-courage-to-answer-music-s-call

Books mentioned:

Ryan Holiday’s book Courage is Calling: https://www.courageiscalling.com/

Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art: https://stevenpressfield.com/books/the-war-of-art/

Quotes, ideas, and insights:

“Be scared. You can’t help that. But don’t be afraid.” - William Faulkner

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” - Seneca

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Learn more about Michelle at https://www.michellemonettemusic.com/

Follow Stream of Art on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/streamofartpodcast/