The knight on horseback that storms the castle to save the princess is brave. The fireman that runs into the burning house only to come out with a cat is brave. The woman who stands in front of a crowd of thousands to proclaim her beliefs is brave (or crazy, one of the two). 🙂

Is that all bravery is about? People doing really big things?

How about the first time tee-ball player who stands at the plate, kicks his heels with the bat and puts all his focus on the ball only to swing and miss three times, toward the non-moving object. Or the small business owner who ditches corporate America for greener grass only to find themselves going back? What about the artist who creates, no matter the medium, and finds no interest … but keeps on trying?

In my book, all these folks are brave. Some take physical bravery to the extreme, but who ever said that an internal one isn’t just as important?

This week, Christina Katz’s 52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers talks about bravery and I can totally relate.

There is a lot of “anxiety” in my family (both sides). These are folks who shiver at the mention of having to stand up in front of a crowd, who get sick to their stomach when stress overwhelms them. It’s not unusual, we all experience levels of stress and anxiety when faced with the unknown. On a number of occasions, my own family has asked me how I can stand to put myself in front of people like I do.

And today I admit : I picture them all in their underwear. 😉 No, actually I don’t. But isn’t that the “old saying” ? Let me just tell you, that’s a really bad idea. There are plenty of folks who need to stay clothed. But I digress …

As a photographer, I work to meet someone else’s needs. I create based on what someone else wants. And I’m not always successful. Those points of failure could do one of two things : force me down and make me quit or let me learn. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who knows when I can take it and when I can’t.

As a writer, I write for me, but then I put it out there for others to judge. Some say I’m crazy for getting critiques on my work. But how would I improve? A number of people have read my first 2 novels … some never got back to me on them and some did. I can only assume those that didn’t have anything to say, didn’t like them (oh and family doesn’t count because they have to like your work). 😉

Did it hurt? Absolutely.

Did it kill the buzz that came with the accomplishment? Did I stop just because someone didn’t say something nice?

No.

Bravery isn’t just running into a burning building or saving the princess, it’s in letting the world see who you are and when they tell you that you aren’t what they want you to be? You still stay true to yourself. You keep photographing. You keep writing. You keep standing in front of a crowd of one or a hundred or a thousand and only afterward do you hurl into the the garbage can 😉 as the reality of what you’ve just done hits you.

You’ve succeeded.