We asked some of the most interesting folks in the community to open up about how they think about taking chances and the role risk has played in their lives and careers. Risk is by far the topic folks talk to us most about and we hope the responses below will help shed light on many different perspectives.

Caro Darman | Actress, playwright & producer.

I think I thrive on risk. It kind of scares me to even say it, but when I look back at how things happened for me, every major goal I’ve achieved in my career has been preceded with some major risk taking. I come from a family of engineers, lawyers, professors, where I was told I could make of my career anything I wished, but art was implicitly and utterly out of the equation. Read more>>

Santhosh Ram Mavuri | Filmmaker / Actor

Risk is an inherent part of any creative endeavor, including filmmaking. It involves taking a chance on an idea, a story, or a cast and crew, and investing time, money, and energy into bringing that idea to life. For a filmmaker who comes from a business background, the ability to assess and manage risk is likely to be a key skill. Read more>>

Pedro Pablo Cámara | Saxophonist, professor, musicologist, artistic researcher and producer

Risk for me is an intrinsic part of life, it is necessary for anyone, but even more so for an artist. Dedicating your career to music is a decision that involves risk in many ways: with respect to the future work, family, personal, social, about mental wellness, etc. Read more>>

Julia Garcia-Deveni | Mindset Coach for Women Entrepreneurs

Risks are a radical act of self-trust. And anything worth having takes risks both in life and in business. I believe ALL of my success has depended on how much trust I have had in order to take risks. The big risks have had the biggest pay offs, but they were only made possible by the small decisions that have compounded my self-trust prior to. Read more>>

DEVÍ Deauville | Model/Actress/Entrepreneur

Taking risks is a two-way street. You’re gambling every time you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to something. Life is like a game of blackjack at a cozy hotel in Vegas. If you keep hitting at the right table, the dealer “busts” more often & the more you win. If you pick the wrong hand or a bad hand at a table adjacent to the “winning one”, you lose everything you brought with you. Read more>>

Carly Maureen Doyle | Actor & Director

For a long time, I didn’t take risks at all. I grew up with anxiety, and I didn’t know what that was, or realize that that was what was going on with me until college. So my whole childhood, I thought that the feelings of fear or risk were just me not wanting to do something. Read more>>

Danni Harper | Interior Designer

Oh man, I would not consider myself a ‘risk taker’, but I suppose starting your own business is quite the risk! I am definitely not afraid of change or discomfort, and I associate discomfort with growth, which is like my drug of choice in life. This helped me in leaving jobs that I grew out of, jumping into projects that felt too big, and just generally putting myself out there exactly as I was and learning along the way. Read more>>

Kati Kanerva | Business owner

I’ve always been someone who’s not too scared to take risks. As a young adult I traveled around the world alone. Later on, I was doing couple of Muay Thai fights what was one the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Read more>>

Milena Anfosso, Ph.D. | Historical Linguist | Author | Translator

That’s a fascinating question. According to my DNA test results, my genetics suggests that I should be more likely to be a risk-averse person. And, if you’d happen to meet my parents first, you would predict that about me, too. But as soon as you’d get to know me, you will instantly realize that I’m definitely on the other side of the spectrum. I’m pretty brave. Read more>>

Meg Dela Cruz | Hair Stylist & Educator

I believe being an entrepreneur is all about taking bold and calculated risks. “Calculated” being the key word, you can’t be reckless. When I make decisions, I make sure that I educate myself and research everything I need to be able to take that risk. Lots of trial and error and lots of learning from other people who have already done it before. Read more>>

Selena Alvarado | Illustrator

In general, I think taking risks are necessary. Especially when it involves something you care about. However, I’ll be one of the first to admit that taking that first step is a daunting task in itself. Whether it’s building new relationships or creative pursuits, not knowing what will happen next is scary. There have been numerous times in my life where I let opportunities slide by because of what I feared would or wouldn’t happen. Read more>>

Chad Goei | Artist

I’ve recently been realizing how much of a role “risk” plays in my life. I start to feel stagnant when my life is too predictable for too long, so it’s almost like I’d rather chase risk than avoid it like most reasonable people. Although I also think pursuing something like art also carries with it inherent risks in many ways. Read more>>

Tyler Jones | 3D Artist

Risk are the biggest factor for any artists. All of the biggest jobs I have had come from me taking risks. For example the first major artists to work with me was Machine Gun Kelly. That came about from me going to On The Rox in West Hollywood where he was having his album release party for Tickets To MY Downfall. Read more>>

Dusty Cooper | Photographer, Videographer, & Creator

I’m a firm believer in the aphorism “no risk no reward,” You don’t always recognize an immediate result from your experiences, but every time you take a risk you build character, knowledge, and confidence. At 25 years old, I moved to New York City to pursue fashion photography and I only knew one person in the city at the time. Read more>>

Miriam Kruishoop | Writer / Director/ Visual Artist

I believe that if you don’t take risks, you don’t get anywhere. Being artist / filmmaker is pretty much being a gambler. Every time you start all over again and hope it works out. Nothing is guaranteed, but then, nothing in life really is. I like taking risks, it’s in my nature. Read more>>

Deja Natei | Model & Actress

How I think about risk is we have to take them in order to grow and evolve. We see people’s success but don’t realize how many risks they took to get there. To take a risk is making yourself vulnerable to the fear of the unknown. Imagine what the world would be like if the Wright brothers never took the risk to achieve flight. Read more>>

Ana Benitez Duarte | Multimedia Designer, Video Editor, Director & Filmmaker

This is a funny question to me because I was literally having a conversation with a friend yesterday during a 3 hour walk about self doubt and risk. Self doubt comes and stays in the mind of a creative. All creatives/artists feel self doubt when working on projects or new ideas. It’s this little voice saying “maybe the magic is gone” “you won’t accomplish it this time” “you don’t have what it takes” “your idea sucks”. Read more>>

Tom Sys | Actor – Producer

Without risks there is no success. In order to have any results I believe you have to take action and not play it safe. Before making a decision I often ask myself, “What will I learn regardlessly”. If I know that I will grow from the experience, it’s always going to be worth it. The first time I made a short film I had no experience as a producer. Read more>>

Dominique Mouton | Writer & Producer

Risk is everything. Risk has played a significant role in my journey as an artist. Moving from Oakland to Los Angeles was a big risk for me, as I was leaving behind a familiar community and support system. However, it was a necessary step in order to pursue my dreams and grow as an artist. The move allowed me to connect with a larger artistic community and be exposed to new opportunities. Read more>>

Nichole Kearns | Actor and Model

In everyday life, I wouldn’t consider myself a risk taker, but in this industry, adopting a bit of that mentality becomes a necessity. When the thought of taking a well worth risk makes me anxious or hesitant, I try to remind myself that I’m on a floating rock within an infinite universe with a limited lifespan. When put into perspective, suddenly many risks, don’t feel all that risky. Read more>>

Lizbeth Cordero | Business Women

I think the risk I personally take is investing a lot into it not only money wise but time effort and the excitement of a dream I want to make happen and at the end lose it all . I have actually came across very very thin line of losing it all and the feeling is horrible you just want to give up, but I’ll cry it out that day and wake up the next day ready to take over the world again. Read more>>

Rou Jiao | Designer, gamer & swimmer

I believe I have continued to challenge myself with each project I receive. It was difficult for a designer to constantly experiment with new designs, but it accelerated my learning. Obviously, it is essential that a solid foundation in design and drawing allowed me to experiment with design variations. Read more>>

David Edward | Author & Ancient History Theorist

It is important to take risks. I use a balanced approach where mush of what I am doing is risk free, but a planned percentage is very risky. This way I minimize the impacts of a rick now producing a reward, while still pursuing a blend of activities. Read more>>