Are you a risk taker? Do you think you have a stronger appetite for risk relative to your friends and family? We asked some folks from the community about their approaches to risk and have shared their thoughts below.

Tess Clare | Singer-songwriter

I think risk is key when it comes to being a creative. My life inherently doesn’t have a straight path, since I’m chasing a career that doesn’t have one right way of being obtained. I have to have the courage to take risks like opening up in a writing session, or playing a show where it could either be an empty room or a room full of people I’m trying to entertain. Read more>>

Luiza Comsa-Jones | Choreographer/Photographer/Filmmaker

I believe that when you take a risk and when you get out of your comfort zone, the universe rewards you and it opens doors for you. Every time I took a risk I made a lot of progress in my professional life but also in my personal life. Read more>>

Jessica Morales | Artist and Innovative Visionary

I think as an artist and just a person all around, when you see risk you see it as this daunting thing that leads to failure but don’t realize behind all of that is just fear and anxiety. Taking a risk can just be trying a new medium, putting your work out there, completely changing direction in your life, or however you define it. Read more>>

Moey Blanco | Artist

I believe that risk is an essential part of life. I think that sometimes, playing it too safe can stagnate us. It dulls the spirit and the mind. This is where taking risks comes into play. It overrides our senses and revitalizes our taste for adventure. In this state I think we our able to access ideas of higher caliber and act with more fervor. Read more>>

Rachel Bykowski | Playwright, Content Writer, Strategist

In terms of personal finance and investments, I’m classified as a low-risk or risk-averse. I like knowing exactly what I’m getting into including the challenges, benefits, pros, cons, and potential devastation that could be waiting for me. My anxiety has developed a ritual. Read more>>

Lingou Li | Graphic Designer

For creatives, starting any new project is like taking a chance, especially with projects meant to make money. Will people like and welcome this project once it’s out? Can my work help the client make more money? Read more>>

Ashish Yamdagni | Executive Producer and Content Creator

For me risks are always things I want to learn, and in that sense I look at them as investments. Throughout my life I’ve always been quick to see a new opportunity and assess the pros and cons — most of the time I didn’t get the pros I expected. Read more>>

Long Nguyen | Long Nguyen – Graphic Design

Currently, I am a freelance Graphic Designer. In my job, it is not easy to catch up with learning new design skills and levels, like someone who knows how to use quick design. I need time to learn more new lessons in my journey because it is not that I cannot do everything the same as a perfect artist. Only I’m happy that someone or a client loves my artwork. Read more>>

Wael Rashad | Film Director Producer Dp

From a young age, my fascination with movies and art ignited a desire to unravel the mysteries behind their creation. I didn’t just want to be a spectator; I wanted to be a part of the magic, shaping stories that could captivate hearts and minds. Read more>>

Danni Gyrl | CEO & Consultant

Risk taking is part of life so if I can envision the end goal, I’ll take a chance at it. There’s no such thing as failure. You have experiences to learn from and improve on to take another crack at it. My very first risk career wise was starting my company, D’vine Management and Entertainment Group LLC (DMEG LLC). Read more>>

Joel Cothran | Visual Artist – Muralist

I realized I am a gambler when it comes to risk. When I was younger, there was a lot of things I wanted to do and a person I wanted to become. I was filled with tremendous anxiety and suffered from being a bit reserved and forging a path toward “success” that someone like myself had no good (close) examples for. Read more>>

Annie Rob – Painting In The Rude | Artist

I’ve always been a firm believer that life without risks would be dreadfully mundane. Being naturally inclined towards embracing fresh challenges, I thrive on shaking things up. It’s the spice of life that fuels my curiosity and drives me to continually push boundaries to experience new adventures and produce my best work. Read more>>

Ryan Simkhai | CEO & Founder at Ryan Simkhai Eyeshop

I believe every great success story involves some kind of risk. You won’t achieve success by just sitting in your comfort zone, every aspect of your life from your social life to your health involves you to sometimes having to take those risks and stepping outside your comfort zone. Read more>>

Daniel Juan | Dog Trainer & Visionary

When I think of risk I tend to look at both sides of the spectrum. Risk is all around us, sometimes we don’t notice the reward that comes from such risks and vice versa – we can get lost in the reward of it all and forget about what happens if it doesn’t go our way. Read more>>

Noa Roethlisberger | Producer / Director / Editor

Risks are inevitable. They arise whether you actively work against them or attempt to avoid them altogether. The only choice one has is to decide which risks they are willing to expose themselves to. Thus far, I’ve found that the risks I’ve taken have always been worth it. Read more>>

Jakob Mesina | DJ & Content Creator

When I was younger, I competed as a sparring athlete in Taekwondo, a martial art where the objective is to outscore your opponent by landing strikes. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: those who take the most risks often reap the greatest rewards. Read more>>

Gabrielle Desroches | Cinematographer, Assistant Camera, & Photographer

I wouldn’t be where I am today at all had I not taken a massive risk by pursuing the incredibly competitive entertainment industry. I’ve always been a creative person and it’s always shown through my hobbies of dance, makeup, and photography. Read more>>

Carly Williams | CEO

I have always been in the camp of taking the leap. In the early years, I would be really nervous to. Kind of felt like I was cliff jumping and it scared of the what ifs… Read more>>

Jessica Ross | Actress, Reporter & Producer

In the whirlwind world of entertainment, risk is the currency of progress. It’s like stepping onto a stage where the spotlight is both your friend and your enemy . Every move, every project, every role is a gamble.  Read more>>

Ashleigh Doucette | Makeup & Special Effects Artist

Taking risks has always been part of who I am. I am a fairly impulsive and impatient person so if I want something or if I am thinking about doing something I will often just jump the gun and go for it. This is not necessarily my best trait to be honest. Read more>>

Lukas Schulz | Creative Director | Founder STMNT Studios

I believe that risk plays a large part in entrepreneurship. Just the decision itself to run your own business bares a lot of risks. Who’s going to pay your bills? Health insurance? Job security? All those securities you have as an employee are gone, all of the sudden. Read more>>

Chaesong Kim | Theater Director & Performance Artist

Let me start with shout outs to the fellow risk takers. Riding with inertia is comfortable. However, breaking away from stasis takes effort. I would argue that daydreaming the “what if’s” and deliberating whether to act on the challenging decision are included in this brave act. Read more>>

Felicity Pickering | Writer / Director

Risk has been a huge part of my career and my life. No risk, no reward! If you are risk-averse you simply don’t pursue a career in entertainment, and you certainly don’t choose to move halfway across the world to pursue it. Read more>>

Griffen Lee | Artist Manager

I’ve always looked at risk as a tool to help with self growth. Although risk can be overwhelming and often times not necessarily the right decision – it does always lend itself towards a life lesson. Read more>>

Jerome Davis | Comedian & Podcaster

Taking risks played a huge role in my life/career. Without taking risks I wouldn’t meet the people I have met nor been in the rooms. I started doing comedy as a way to get out the house and definitely didn’t expect for me to get as far as I have. If you don’t take risk you don’t have reward. Read more>>

Josh Kim and Sam Hong | Co-Founders, Softies Burger

Risk is an extremely counterintuitive idea in Asian-American culture. Because our parents took the biggest risk in moving to the US, and struggled in ways we could never imagine, their sole motivation was to allow us to not have to do this for ourselves – it’s the price they paid for us to have a “good” life. Read more>>

Alyssa Danae Stocker-Keefe | Photographer & Art Director

I think of myself as a responsible person who is not afraid to take risks. One of the biggest risks I took in my photography career was leaving my stable job shooting for an up and coming fashion startup in San Francisco and taking off to backpack (and shoot for a few clothing brands) through Southeast Asia. Read more>>

LaRae Burress | Celebrity Hairstylist

When I think about risk taking, initially I don’t think about the negatives. I like to focus more on what can be gained and not lost. You have to trust in yourself when you are stepping out and taking risks. For my career taking risks has been the best and scariest decisions that I have made. Read more>>

Amy McFarland | Herbalist and Business Owner

I have always sought fulfillment, both personal and financial, in running my own businesses. This has been a mixture of successes and “teachable moments”. I realize now, looking back, that my frame of mind has always been pretty atypical when it comes to a career. Read more>>

Uche | Artist

I believe everything you’re afraid of has the power to hurt you. I mean true power lies in possibility right?. In the off chance that so many things will happen in so many ways and hopefully create a desired outcome. Read more>>

Catharine Kuerbis | Entrepreneur, Marketing Director & Social Media Strategist

I have historically been a happy risk-taker in my life and career. I moved to Iceland at age 18 as an exchange student (the one country on the list promising no idea what to expect when I got off the plane back in 1993, before we had the internet!)  Read more>>

Qi | Artist/ actor

Risks are fun! my friends told me I’m a little dare devil. I think sometimes “risks” are a gateway for the creativity of life to manifest itself. when people say “taking a risk”, it typically means that they don’t know what is going to happen. Read more>>

Aky | DJ & Music Producer

Risk-taking has always been a fundamental aspect of my life and career. I’ve come to see risk not as something to be avoided, but rather as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Throughout my journey, I’ve embraced a do-it-yourself attitude, especially when things didn’t go as planned. Read more>>

THOMASINA | Singer – Songwriter

Art is all about taking risks. It’s about being vulnerable and way too honest and putting yourself out there for people to fully see. It can be terrifying because not everyone is going to understand it. But when you take the risk and share your art, you find your community. Read more>> 

Brandon Dalo | Composer

There’s a lot of risk involved in quitting the responsible path, leaving your friends and family behind, and moving across the country to pursue what you love. Moving to Los Angeles for your career is also to know that you are entering a highly competitive environment and one of the most expensive in terms of cost of living. Read more>>

Kami Kenna | Beverage Consultant & Educator

Taking risks has played a massive role in my life and my career. From a young age, I learned that taking big risks leads to exponentially larger rewards, maybe not tangible material ones per se but personal ones without a doubt. Read more>> 

FreXinet | Artist & Owner of Relax Yourself Cosmetics

I believe the act of taking risks is necessary for advancement. Being unwilling to take risks will definitely create stagnancy and complacency. Risk-taking can be scary at times but without doing so the possibility for growth is certainly limited. Read more>>

Sulema Fernández-Honn | Creative Director & Founder at AmorFirst

Taking risks has truly changed my life for the better. It has allowed me to confront my fears and pursue my aspirations, even when the outcome is uncertain. It’s scary to venture into the unknown, not knowing if I’ll succeed or fail.  Read more>>

Polina Stepanova | Architectural and Computational Designer

I am a firm believer that it is impossible to grow as an individual without consistently stepping out of your comfort zone. When we stand still, our comfort zones just keep shrinking because realistically, we never stand still – life is either about ascending or descending.  Read more>>

Jada Tufifn | Collegiate Athlete, Student, and Artist

Taking risks is incredibly important in not only the process towards a successful career/future but life in general. I live by the saying “If you are comfortable, you are not growing.” There is a strong level of discomfort that comes with taking risks and stepping outside of your routine. Read more>>

Chris Edgerly | Voice actor and writer

Since my career is in show business, it has always involved a measure of risk due to the enormous amount of uncertainty. You can have incredible swings in fortune and you simply learn to deal with it. And so the risk merely becomes part of the ride. Read more>>

Ker Chen | 3D artist

I’ve always been inclined towards taking risks. During the pandemic, I made the bold decision to quit my job because I felt a strong desire to embark on a different path in life. My career transitioned from advertising and event planning to the digital art realm. Read more>> 

Gelei Mai | Multimedia Designer

Risk is the eventualization of the abstract concept of insecurity. Personally, I see risk as defined not by itself but by how it is constructed into narratives, strategies, and events by human beings. The COVID-19, for instance, in itself is a medical term; the controversial public policies on its outspread, the unstable countermeasures of the healthcare system, and furthermore, the social isolation and negative sentiments it spurred, become risks. Read more>>

Joelle Montoya | Actor, Singer, Storyteller

I think that life is all about taking that leap into the unknown. Acting has taken me all over the world from London, to NYC, and now to Los Angeles. Going on stage to play music and putting my work out there requires a certain vulnerability which makes a lot of creative endeavors or moves feel risky. Read more>>

Charlene Bagcal | Screenwriter for Film & TV, Director, and Photographer

I’ve consistently regarded embracing risks as an indicator that I’m heading in the right direction. I firmly believe that without taking risks, one cannot acquire new experiences or foster personal growth. As a student of life, I find fulfillment in immersing myself in novel, albeit occasionally uncomfortable, situations. Read more>>