Brave, Bravo and Being an Artist

Mystic Tree
encaustic and paper on birch 9x12
Still playing, still experimenting and cut lots of little leaves out of book pages

Have you ever thought of the difference between BRAVE and BRAVO.  one letter, really.  When we stand and clap and shout Bravo!, aren't we in a sense recognizing a brave act by the person we are celebrating?  Brave acts come in many packages and when we look at it in that sense - it takes a brave act to be on stage, to perform our best, to be an athlete or an artist. 
So, what exactly is being brave?  What is a brave act?  I think if we give this some thought, we may come up with all kinds of definitions and examples.  But, what if we look at the brave acts that we each accomplished on our own - just today.  Being brave is anything that we accomplish that falls outside of our own comfort zone.  Just showing up and being in your studio is a brave act.  Why?  Well, because you are allowing yourself to create - good or bad, experimenting and playing and by calling yourself an Artist.  Count your braves today.  Count all of them as big or as small as they may be and in all aspects of your day.  Yes, it takes a brave act to stand up and show off your creative talent and not let it hide away.  It is brave to be an artist.  It is brave to be a Mom.  It is brave to face a challenge.  Now, give yourself a standing ovation - BRAVO!  and repeat.... every day.

BRAVO!  Brave acts, well done!