Courage

Nuvia C. Ruland
Dec 11, 2016
2 min read

Four months ago many of you knew of each other but didn’t know each other’s story. In the last few weeks you’ve learned that you have more in common than you ever thought, and may not feel as alone in your journey as you did before. When designing The Power Within we have no idea who are students are, much less where they are coming from. Yet I’m still able to connect with some aspect of each of your stories. From pushing away my parents’ religion to create my own belief system to feeling emotionally detached from my family during our hardships. This past week, I’ve been moved to tears and have snorted out a belly laugh as I listen to your stories. But most of the time I’m simply in awe of your courage to share your personal narrative in public. I’m grateful to share the human experience with you.

According to Merriam-Webster Courage is defined as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. I began to wonder if courage is a skill you can build and develop, or if it is an innate quality. In this project we are asking you to work like writers and artists to express where your power comes from. Although I want to think that these are skills that can be nurtured, I also believe that deep down we all have the capacity to create something from our own mind. It’s our experiences that can either highlight or bury these qualities we are born with. For many of us, someone or something happened to make us think we are either good or bad at creating beautiful work. Once upon a time we created something and we were either praised for it or discouraged from trying again. Using this logic I think we are all born courageous; we just need the right environment to display it.

In facilitating this experience Max and I included many structures in our classroom environment to make you feel safe to share where your power comes from. We’ve included opportunities to feel confident and have pushed you out of your comfort zones. I’m constantly having to gauge where you are in this range of emotions. To make sure that you are all producing work that you love and are proud of, I strive to strike a balance for you regardless what else is happening in your life. This is the most challenging aspect of leading this project. I feel horrible when your frustration becomes overwhelming. It’s a balancing act that requires letting you experiment: sometimes successfully, and sometimes not. But as the great philosopher Yoda once said: “There is no try.” Wherever you’ve been this semester I hope that you’ve always felt supported in your process in creating work that is as unique as you. Stay courageous!