Letting fear direct our lives and actions might mean we hold ourselves back from what we really want… what if we use fear as a compass instead?

Fear gets a bad reputation as an emotion that holds you back. But I think that fear can actually be a very good thing for artists. Fear comes along when there’s a crossroad in front of us and we have to make a choice between what is familiar and the new and unknown—do we stay where we are, or do we take the new road? I see fear as a sign that it’s time to act, move forward, and go for whatever it is that we want.

Experiencing fear doesn’t necessarily mean that we are actually afraid, either. It could mean that we are carrying the fears of our immediate and past family members, and we need to do work to let go of those fears. But whether it’s a generational fear or simply the fear of trying moving into the unknown, I think we can use fear to guide us through our lives and use it as a way to chart a new life course into something completely different and amazing.

The Private View Podcast is created by artist Mauren Brodbeck. She hosts two podcasts, PRIVATE VIEW and RAW AND RADICAL WOMEN IN THE ARTS PODCAST, which is an inspirational movement, resource, and community for cis and trans women who want to be creative and live a creative life, but who feel alone and struggle to claim the time and space they need to fully realize their potential.

RAW AND RADICAL WOMEN IN THE ARTS PODCAST is a series of conversations with outstanding women in the arts who are striving to live bold, authentic, creatively-fulfilling lives. In these interviews, they explore the themes of identity, vulnerability, authenticity, loneliness, alienation, discrimination, inspiration, empowerment, and social change.

In PRIVATE VIEW, Mauren shares her personal stories of discovery, process, practice, and the adversity she has encountered during her life and experience in the art world.

For more information, please visit www.rawradical.com