Taking Risk is essential, but how much, when and why? Taking risks effectively is as much of an art as it is a science and we’ve asked some of the brightest folks in the community to tell us about how they think about risk taking.

Andrew Dickson | freelance artist, painter/printmaker

A certain amount of faith is involved in many of my life/career decisions and while I am never ignorant of realities or specific challenges, for the most part I am able to move into new territory without too much worry or fear of failure. This could have been anything from jumping a fence to explore an industrial landscape for my artwork, reaching out to connect with artists I admired but had never met, or making a decision to move abroad when resources and finances were not yet in place. Read more>>

Drew Nenow | Owner & Winemaker of Nenow Family Wines in Paso Robles

Risk is a necessary evil to me and without it we wouldn’t have Nenow Family Wines to be honest. My sister and brother in law first brought up the idea of starting a wine brand when I was 23 years old. By 2017 we were buying our first grapes and getting ready to launch the brand. It’s a competitive industry, so risk kind of comes with the territory. I wouldn’t trade it for anything though, because turns out taking risk is a great motivator to work hard. Read more>>

DAVIS | Musician

As a songwriter, whenever I’ve played it safe I’ve always failed. Being truly honest is always the most risky thing, but it’s the most artistically rewarding. It’s hard to allow yourself to be truly vulnerable and tell your story. Sometimes your ego gets in the way and wants you to rely on your comfort zone. Sometimes you have other people’s voices in your head telling you to sing about this or sing about that. But if you don’t take a risk, you’ll never know who you really are as an artist. Read more>>

Wavy Films | Photographer/videographer

Taking risk showed me that if I trust and believe in myself and what I love to do it will happen. I am at the point now where I don’t think about risk, I think about another opportunity that is open for me to pursue. Read more>>

Nik Lucas | Tattoo artist & Tattoo shop owner

Risk-taking, that’s an interesting topic! I believe that taking risks is essential for growth. When it comes to my art, I don’t shy away from pushing boundaries and exploring new ideas, even if it means stepping out of my comfort zone. It required taking risks with my artistic choices, experimenting with different styles, and challenging myself to create unique designs for my clients. Read more>>