Fear is Good

Fear is good.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about what it means to accept vulnerability as an integral part of my human nature and my artistic life, and about how it can allow me to work and perform at my best. I likewise find that we should not forget that, at the other end of the spectrum, fear is often a necessary evil and can be a great tool in our musical journey. We need this dichotomy between learning to embrace our fears and letting go of perfection. Both anxiety and vulnerability offer opportunities for growth but can become hindrances to our progress and performance.

It’s a very fine line. Within that balance between answering fear with courage and letting go of the debilitating chase for perfection lays great potential for what we call in French dépassement – going past what we perceive are our current limitations – in our art.

Facing fear helps us grow our courage muscle. (Cliché, I know! But it really does!) Fear will come at one point or another, there’s no avoiding it. But it can become a great resource. Think of the times fear made you practice that extra hour, gave you sharp focus, and had you bring in you A-game at the next lesson!