loving art, science and creative kids

The Gossips 

12” by 36” /  Acrylic Painting /  $ 325

                                   If you were a bluebird would you stay safely in your cage?  The door is open and you could fly to freedom but on the                                  outside you will be surrounded by loudly cawing black crows more than twice your size.  Is it worth the risk to venture forth? 

Taking Risks 

Most of us accommodate some degree of risk.  We drive cars, fly in planes, and commit ourselves to partners.  We move, change jobs, ride bicycles and hike on uneven surfaces. We observe politicians take huge risks by running for president,  watch soldiers enlist for battle not knowing if they will survive and are in awe of Mt. Everest climbers.  Just how risk is invited into our lives has a lot to do with childhood upbringing, physical strength and genetics.

Last week I discussed two types of brains and mentioned that mine is over-stimulated ,which indicates that I am more likely to stay away from jumping out of airplanes or going on roller coasters rides than an under-stimulated brain that impulsively seeks excitement.  Adrenaline spikes negatively affected my responses until I learned to control them through mindfulness training. 

In my thirties I finally decided that I wanted to have a more adventurous life.  To to do this I had to examine my strengths and weaknesses with honesty.   Similar to the steps taken by financial planners, I conducted a risk analysis of my personal behavior. 

As a youth I was very protected and taught to be cautious.  Sheltered by family, I stayed close to home and those I knew.  The first time I drove myself from Boston to Amherst, a distance of 93 miles, I was in my mid-twenties. The trip was exhilarating and frightening as I followed a map along strange roads to reach my destination. The pride I felt at arriving in one piece is indescribable.  

What enabled me to take this journey? On that occasion my husband was busy and did not have time to take me. My desire to visit my friend outweighed the fear of getting lost or in an accident.  This may seem like a small achievement, yet it is one that I remember to this day.  The independence I felt provided weight to the risk side of an internal balance scale that previously leaned lopsidedly towards caution and safety. 

With newly found courage, my outlook expanded. I repeatedly asked myself, “What is the worst and best thing that could happen by taking xxx risk?”  When there was something I wanted to accomplish that was greater than my fears I forged ahead. For instance, I was afraid of fainting when I had to talk before an audience. That happened to me once in fifth grade.  Giving speeches to market Impression 5, the museum I started in Michigan, became possible only because my desire to build a science center outweighed my queasiness over public speaking. And so, over the years I slowly improved,  but until recently I never analyzed the process of how my emotions evolved to let me take increasingly greater risks. 

I watched others engage in activities that I wished I had the courage to do.  A friend of mine marched with Martin Luther King at Selma.  A 55 year old neighbor traipsed around Europe by herself, sleeping in hostels.  My ex-husband rock-climbed and, not wanting to stay alone at home, I too tried it.  He also had a knack for engaging foreigners in conversation.  I had been taught not to speak to strangers, but rather than do him harm I saw how rich it made his world.

It was when we divorced that I had a most important conversation with myself.  I decided that there was no sense spending my life waiting for others to lead the way.  By then I had watched enough people to see how it was done.  It was time I stood on my own feet, overcome my fears and walk forward towards a new destiny.  So, I  took a gamble with my money and started the Museum Tour Catalog which I successfully operated for eighteen years.  I began traveling alone and learned to love the independence of doing so.  I went cross-country skiing by myself at night and for a while faced demons of living alone in a creaking house.  Each time I overcome a fear I came closer to my core to learn who I am.    With stronger grounding I also became better able to reach out and form warm, loving relationships.

Each of us has our own level of risk aversion, but when we push ourselves to move a bit more than our comfort level we live more fully.  In retrospect I am please with how colorful life has been. I am satisfied that anxiety did not keep me from climbing over or around the many boulders placed in my way.  

Oregon bluebirds also know that risks are necessary if they want to fly free.  After a bit of investigation and conversations with birders, I learned that though there is risk to leaving the cage, it is unlikely that a mature bird will be bothered.  Crows prefer to rob nests of eggs and attack baby birds.  An adult is quite capable of flying away unharmed.

What level of risk are you willing to take? Is it where you want it to be or does it keep you from engaging in the opportunities desire?  Do share your thoughts on my blog site below.

Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].

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Street Kids take risks everyday though they are often unwanted.  Discover more by reading The True story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds.    Available for $2.99  as an e-book on  AMAZON.