We asked some brilliant folks from the community to talk to us about how they think about risk and the role risk has played in their lives and careers.

Kelly Hyde | Singer-songwriter

To me when I think about risk taking, I think about how many things I do on the regular now that I used to be terrified of. Singing, for example. My whole life I knew I could sing, but I was mortified by the idea of anyone hearing me. I don’t even know where these fears come from. But I know it is a common fear, the fear of singing. Or the fear of expressing oneself, for that matter. Read more>>

Giovanni Bango | Public Adjuster & General Contractor

Taking logical and calculated risks are the key to succeeding and growing in life. You need to break the mold and separate yourself from always following the “safe, tried and true” method most people use. The very definition of insanity is expecting a different result from the same action over and over. This is precisely why following what everyone else is doing ultimately leads to the same result they got. Read more>>

Alicia Link | Artist & Educator

I think about risk all the time. To me what separates good art from great art is when I can see that there is something at stake for the artist. As a child, I never thought I would be an artist professionally. I did not grow up going to contemporary art museums or recognizing that people did this as a career. In my limited exposure, I formed some ridiculous notion that career artists ended with Impressionism. Nevertheless, I was always compulsively making things, taking art classes, and performing for friends and family. Read more>>

Marc Kaplan | Director of Development

I tend to be more of a calculated risk taker when it comes to my career, I am a big believer in the old adage “high risk, high reward.” To me life is about taking chances, if I want something bad enough I will project/manifest those wants into the universe and contrive of a clear path on how I am going to accomplish that. I feel like I you never know what the outcome will be if you don’t take the risk. Read more>>