How do you think about risk? What role has taking risks played in your life/career? Check out responses from hidden gems from our community below.

Maddie “Moprah” Mosley | Multimedia Journalist

Whether I’m out here willing to risk it all for my current celebrity crush or I’m contemplating the next risk I’m going to take for myself, risk is always on my mind, always! I think it’s what personally keeps me on my toes. It sounds cliché, but I truly don’t want to live a life of regrets, left wondering well what if, I’m already an overthinker as it is. I feel like the driving force behind people not taking risks is fear, usually fear of failure. I however, would rather take a risk and possibly fail, than shy away from taking that initial leap of faith. I think being able to do that, also requires a different mindset on what failure means to you. When I think of failure, two things come to mind: Failing forward and room for growth. I try to think of my failures as a positive thing, moments in time that will one day be some of the juiciest chapters in my tell-all autobiography. Plus, I think too many people sell themselves short and automatically think they’re going to fail instead of thinking about the success that could come from them betting on themselves. Risk sometimes requires you to do things that people haven’t done or aren’t willing to do. Read more>>

Madison Edens | MyAZPicnic

Risk is everything. I left a very comfortable government position with amazing benefits to start a business on my own with a new baby. Talk about terrifying. But it allowed me to use that “fear” I had inside and really push myself to the best of my capabilities. It’s allowed me to free my creative side and truthfully it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Read more>>

Karen Lukacs | Textile Designer/Maker

“And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin. Creativity and innovation are about taking risks. As a creative maker, problem-solving is the core of what I do, where risk is essential. Curiosity to stretch beyond the known and the ordinary is integral to my creative process. Sample, sample, sample and try, try again with disregard for failure. The work I do, my making, is about learning to do that which I don’t already know how to do. It’s a process that requires taking risks. Over the years of practicing my craft, taking risks to stretch my capabilities, intuition becomes more front-and-center. Through practice, the strength of that intuitive guidance overcomes the aversion I might have to taking risks in my work, in my life’s journey. The biggest risk I can think of is to not take risks. Read more>>

Alexandra Rubio | Artist

A situation involving exposure to danger. So by definition, we are always actively and inactively taking risks every single day. You risk getting into a car accident every time you drive to work and you risk losing your job if you don’t go to work. You risk having your house catch on fire when you put lights on your Christmas tree, and you risk not feeling that “Holiday spirit” when you don’t buy a Christmas Tree. Some risky situations are necessary, so I will mostly be considering the “unnecessary” risky situations of life in this article. In my everyday life, I always consider the risks involved in any action I could potentially make, along with the risks involved in not pursuing that action. I then compare each situation and risks involved to what I can possibly gain from it. Life Example: (Climbing) I love rock climbing, so I am used to calculating all the risks of being outdoors and interacting with nature. The risks are: injury and loss of time. By choosing to act on this sport, I gain happiness, confidence, and physical strength. (Not climbing)There are risks of not climbing. Read more>>

Adelaide Marcus | Visionary Artist & Womb Wisdom Belly Dance Instructor

I think it’s safe to say, that risk is unavoidable! However, what we perceive as “risky will depend on our personal psychology. In many ways I feel it boils down to how much we believe in ourselves and are in it for the “long haul.” If you take on the perspective that you will always learn from your failures, taking risks will likely not prevent you from moving forward, and potentially “failing.” In my opinion, failing is only truly failing if you stop there, but if you are in it/your business for the long haul, which many dedicated artists are, you’ll learn that taking risks are always worth their weight in the learning experience and often times refine what you produce and offer. I believe the saying is, “fail faster to get further” lol. It’s also important to factor in what you may be risking by not taking “the risk”. For example, If you don’t quit your day job, how many years might go by with lost opportunities that are more fulfilling? I oftentimes look at things this way, which is quite contrary to most people’s thought process, who mostly are looking for perceived security. Read more>>

Suzanne klotz | Artist, Associate Professor of Fine Arts

• I have never applied the term “risk taking” to the decisions I’ve made in my life choices. Rather, what others may perceive as risks, I perceive as opportunities for new adventures. If I had thought of my past adventures as “risks” I wouldn’t have walked out my front door and, in turn, would have lived only a very boring and stagnant life. • In terms of creating my art works, I wouldn’t describe taking risks here as an adventure, rather, it’s a lot of hard work, frustration and emotional and mental trauma, but taking risks in the creative process is essential for continued growth. I view each “next piece” as a challenge to push the envelope (conceptually, visually and technically) when compared to the last piece. The last work of art needs to exist in order for the next piece to materialize. I take the best parts of the last piece, incorporate them into the current work and introduce new technical, visual and conceptual challenges. The hardest stage of creating for me is finishing. Once a work of art is completed it needs to visually and energetically convey what I originally hoped for it. If it doesn’t, my only option is to trash it. Read more>>