Of all of the forms of courage the ability to Laugh is the most

Creativity takes courage is one of my favorite quotes. It’s so true. Creativity really does take a lot of courage. When creative people express their emotions through their artwork, writing or music, and they present it to the world to see on the Internet, they in effect put themselves on the chopping block to be critiqued by everyone on the planet. It’s bold, it’s vulnerable, and it requires a certain level of self-esteem and courage.

I can’t even tell you how many times I've seen a post with someone’s fabulous creations, and the artist left a message to the visitors that reads something like, “Please be kind. I’m creative, so I’m fragile.” Even as recently as a few days ago, on a post I wrote that was very near and dear to my own heart, someone left a comment that said, . Whether intentional or not, Internet readers can be ruthless and seem heartless, there is no question about that.

However, if you are a creative person, I want to encourage you to strengthen your courage muscles and not let anyone else in your life, online or offline, steal your joy or make you question your sense of creativity. Be bold, keep smiling, and most importantly, keep doing what you are doing! Here are five ways you might find useful for building your courage. I wrote these with bloggers in mind, but I hope they will be useful for any creative person who is struggling with their own sensitivity and trying to learn the art of being courageous.