Dive In: The Artist’s Call to Risk Everything
Journal Entry: February 15, 2025
Dive In: The Artist’s Call to Risk Everything
As artists, we can’t afford to stay on the shore. Arshile Gorky’s words remind us of this truth: “The secret is to throw yourself into the water of life again and again, not to hang back, no reservations, risk everything, but above all strike out boldly with all you have.” Creating art demands nothing less. To make work that matters to us, we have to dive in—headfirst, no safety nets, no holding back.
It’s easy to hesitate, to hang back and overthink. The blank canvas, the empty page, the unopened studio door — they can all feel like insurmountable barriers. We wait for inspiration to strike or for the “perfect” idea to emerge. But staying on the edge, calculating every move, keeps us stuck in the shallow end of our creativity. Art doesn’t come from playing it safe. It comes from plunging into the unknown.
Throwing yourself into the water of life as an artist means embracing risk. It means putting work out there that might be misunderstood or rejected. It means experimenting with new techniques, ideas, or mediums that could fail spectacularly. It’s terrifying, sure — but isn’t that where the most exciting work happens? Isn’t that what being an artist is all about?
The best art comes from bold strokes, not careful hesitations. It comes from risking vulnerability, from expressing something raw and real that you might not even fully understand yet. The process will toss you around. You’ll face self-doubt, frustration, and maybe even moments when you feel like giving up. But those are the moments that shape you, that teach you how to swim deeper into your creative process.
And the truth is, this isn’t a one-time leap. As artists, we have to throw ourselves into the water again and again. Every project, every piece, every step in our journey asks us to take a new risk. It’s not about waiting for perfection — it’s about committing to the process, trusting the unknown, and being willing to start over, time and time again.
Every time you take the leap, you grow. You learn something new about your craft, your vision, and yourself. You get stronger, braver, and more attuned to the currents of your creativity. Even when you’re scared, even when the stakes feel impossibly high, you find your rhythm. And in that rhythm, something incredible happens: you discover your voice.
To create art is to risk everything. To lay yourself bare on the canvas, in the melody, in the words. But it’s also to claim your place in the world, boldly and unapologetically. The water will be rough sometimes, but that’s where the magic happens — in the seeming chaos, in the uncertainty, in the deep end where you’re fully alive.
So, to my fellow artists: don’t hold back. Stop waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect idea, or the perfect conditions. They don’t exist. What exists is the act of creating, the act of risking, the act of throwing yourself in with everything you have.
If you try to wait until you are ready, you will never begin. A teacher once told me, ‘We are made ready in the act of doing, in the midst of the encounter.” If you can approach things like an adventure, like an experiment, then curiosity becomes the motive that drives you forward. Fear of failure? The only failure is holding back.
Strike out boldly. Take the leap. Risk failure. Risk starting over. Because that’s where true art is born — in the fearless act of diving in, again and again.
That is all great advice Cecil, thank you - what has anyone to lose?
"The artist's call is to risk everything" When I was a young artist, I took this literally. But now I would add. Take care of yourself. Take care of your mental and physical health. Be aware of your relationships. Find healthy alternatives to artmaking. It can't be done at the expense of everything else in Life. Go to nature. Exercise. Love. Don't expect art to validate your existence. Sure, risk what's on the canvas. It means little. Art may or may not make you a living. It may or may not give you joy. Don't risk everything for it. It's just another option for doing, not a recipe for being.