The Art of Risk: Building a Career One Bold Step at a Time

"Your success depends on the risks you take. Your survival depends on the risks you avoid."

Those words from James Clear aren’t just theory for me—they’re brushstrokes in the painting of my life. Every significant project I’ve been part of—the Centennial Creations of the Biltmore Estate, being the Official Artist for the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Open—didn’t appear out of thin air. They were the result of hundreds of small, calculated risks, each one a step onto a branch that could either hold or break.

The Building Blocks
No masterpiece is painted in a single sweep. My career grew from small beginnings—modest commissions, local shows, conversations that seemed inconsequential at the time. Each one was a building block. Each risk, a stroke of color that made the picture richer.

Why Small Starts Matter
It’s easy to dismiss the first step because it feels too small. But as Clear reminds us, a single sentence is closer to a book than writing nothing at all. In my own path, the small starts—submitting work to a juried show, calling on a potential partner, trying a new subject on canvas—were the seeds of my biggest opportunities.

Encouragement for the Reader
If there’s one truth I’ve seen again and again, it’s this: the risk that feels small today might become your turning point tomorrow. And the only guarantee is that if you don’t start, you’ll never know.

So, what’s your first step? The branch you’re willing to step out on today?

You don’t have to leap into the deep end. Just take the first stroke, the first sentence, the first conversation. Over time, you’ll look back and realize those small acts of courage painted the life you always imagined.