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Olivia Wilder Ethical Credo

A deep breath and a leapJohn Patrick Shanley, in an Authors Note prefacing his play The Dreamer Examines His
Pillow, writes:
I am not a courageous person by nature. I have simply discovered that, at certain key
moments in this life, you must find courage in yourself, in order to move forward and
live. It is like a muscle and it must be exercised, first a little, and then more and more.
All the really exciting things possible during the course of a lifetime require a little more
courage that we currently have. A deep breath and a leap.
Shanley is speaking of risk something so counter to what we might desire uncomfortable and
frightening. Risk is that which allows us to move forward in life, to reach for the thing outside
of ourselves, to enter into a process of self-actualization and growth. In this life, we are taught to
play it safe to pull back from the thing that seems terrifying or slightly outside of what is
comfortable. We are taught to think that living contented with what we currently know and hold
inside of us is essentially what will save us that we are demi gods and should be praised for
what we have that someone else might not. That if we search hard enough, we will find the
answer within our own hearts or minds. This essay will begin by exploring the benefits of risktaking, examine what it is that encourages and prevents risk, and finally apply this method to two
different areas of communication: theater and life within a community.

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The benefits of risk takingLearning to take risk allows for spontaneous expression and creation. Any degree of selfrevelation or offering forward of self requires courage and is an act of taking risk. Just as
jumping out of a plane for a skydiving expedition would be considered risky, when you, in a
moment of wild expression, choose to dance in a way that is enjoyable to you rather than what
may be popular, that is a form of risk. This, of course, has to do with spontaneity, which is a
wonderful byproduct of learning to step outside of what is habitual or easy. From mustering the
courage to initiate conversation with someone new, to devising a theater piece expressing your
own story and voice, taking risk allows us to indulge and follow our natural tendency towards
self-expression and creation.
A word on creative tendency. As humans, we are at our core, creative beings. First,
because humans have been created in the Imago Dei, or image of God. God is shown in the
scriptures from the very beginning as an expressive and creative God, and we, his masterpiece,
are spoken of in the psalms on behalf of David:
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks
to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul
knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And
skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth - Psalm 139
It is in our very nature for those (even those who would not consider themselves to be artists)
whom God has formed with great care, to create. So this idea of taking risk or embracing
spontaneity, is already a natural part of who we are as humans but it has been smothered by
desiring conformity and comfort essentially, this creative nature is stopped by fear.

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Because taking risks allows us to tap into and release what is natural to us - our
expressive and creative human tendency, it also aids in the process of granting agency. David
Brooks, in his book The Road to Character, speaks of agency as a moment in which you realize
your own effectiveness and power as a human. Brooks says, Agency is not automatic. It has to
be given birth to, with pushing and effort. Its not just the confidence and drive to act. Its
having engraved inner criteria to guide action. (pg 164) Pressing into healthy risk or danger
propels us even closer to the agency moment. Humans have a right to expression and voicing
their own stories and values. And though pushing yourself outside of what is comfortable in
conversation, writing, or action is only one aspect of what it means to realize your own agency, it
is a step that grants confidence and a greater knowledge of self. In his book Free Play, Stephen
Nachmanovitch writes about the power of making mistakes and their potential for providing a
sense of agency, Sometimes these situations, while miserable at the time, cause us to sharpen,
focus, and mobilize our inner resources in the most surprising ways. We become, then, no longer
victims of circumstance, but able to use circumstance as the vehicle of creativity. (pg 92)
A final benefit of risk taking, is, that it encourages mistakes. It is easy, particularly in a
rigorous academic setting, to fall into a trap of desiring perfectionism which can be entirely
stifling to creativity, spontaneity, and therefore risk. Adopting a mindset inclined toward saying
yes will most likely result in some transformative experiences, artistically and interpersonally,
but along with that will come countless opportunities for failure. Learning the value of rejection
and failure is arguably more important than knowing what it is to succeed. But maybe these
ideas go hand in hand lets say two women audition for the role of Juliet in Shakespeares
Romeo and Juliet. One woman gets the role and the other does not. It can be argued that the
woman who played Juliet learned more, she did, after all have the experience of the production

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and playing the role. But what about the woman who did not succeed? Could she not have
learned just as much about herself, her own reaction and the way she handles rejection in the
process? Most people experience some form of rejection regularly, if not daily. By attempting to
practice an attitude of courage and saying yes, it is easier to embrace the rejection and failure
to expect it, and enjoy the process of growing through it. Nachmanovitch also writes on the
creative process and the joy that comes in each artistic attempt: Every attempt we make is
imperfect; yet each one of those imperfect attempts is an occasion for a delight unlike anything
else on earth. (pg 13).
The opposition of riskSo whats stopping us? Why arent we taking every opportunity to stretch our capacity to
be, to create, to communicate our desires, ideas, and aspirations? And maybe you are, but as
mentioned earlier regarding the creative nature, our natural tendencies are daily smothered by
fear. Fear is the opposer of risk. Not only are we afraid of failure and appearing foolish, but we
lack the environment in which imperfect risk taking and exploration is possible. Young students
become hesitant to speak in class for fear of getting the answer wrong, adults refrain from
expressing themselves as they did imaginatively and artistically during childhood because they
fear being ridiculed for a lack of talent. Many people who respond in this way have not been
given a space to express themselves, to take even small risks without fear of being seen as lesser
for an imperfect attempt. As humans, we need spaces in which we are uninhibited free to be
our flawed human selves and trust that by the grace of God, we need not be afraid.
Nachmanovitch, again, in Free Play writes on the process of unblocking in order to express
Spontaneous creation comes from our deepest being and is immaculately and originally
ourselves. What we have to express is already with us, is us, so the work of creativity is not a

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matter of making the material come, but of unblocking the obstacles to its natural flow. (pg 10)
If we can get to the root of our fear, acknowledge the lies we are speaking to ourselves and filters
we have put in place, maybe it is possible to push past that fear toward vulnerability and honest
expression.
The process of getting to the root of our fear, which prevents healthy environments for
risk, should involve considering the opposite of fear. The scriptures provide us with an ideal
solution to our fear: love. God, who knows our human tendencies, provides this blessed
assurance - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. -1 John 4:18. We are to oppose this
fear of self-expression, human connection, and artistic creation with love!
The place of risk in theaterBecause of its entirely vulnerable and exposing nature, risk taking is essential in creating
theater. From acting in an ensemble production to directing a one woman show, learning to push
boundaries and means of story-telling are a part of what it means to be an effective member of
the artistic community. One of the reasons it becomes possible to explore and improvise in a
theatrical setting is because a safe environment has been established. A setting in which
emotional landscape and articulation can be explored, the considering of embodied acting, and
how it is possible to take on a character is an environment that has been established and
nourished by a director for whom play and exploration are important. When this sort of room is
set, it becomes possible to begin the artistic journey from a place of trust and genuine creativity
rather than from the fear of getting something wrong.

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The place of risk in communitySo far, this essay has largely discussed risk taking as a synonym for freedom and release
in artistic expression, but this idea of taking risk applies within a non-artistic community as well.
Communicating with others from a place of honest encourages vulnerability within relationships.
This vulnerability allows the courage to risk expressing feelings, thoughts, and ideas freely
within relationship. These seemly small risks open us in community allow us to grow closer
through shared experience and fear.
All of this can become fairly mystical and non-practical, so lets break it down. Ideally,
ethical communication should be characterized by small courageous acts which lead to trust and
openness within a community. This sort of communication encourages individuals to really see
one another and acknowledge their imperfect humanness. Shanley is right when he says that
finding and developing courage is like exercising a muscle it takes time to grow and requires
intentional consideration and practice in taking risks. But by the grace of God, within the right
environment and community of people, all that is required of you is a deep breath and a leap.

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Works Cited
Brooks, David. The Road to Character. New York: Random House, 2015. Print.
The Holy Bible: New International Version, Containing the Old Testament and the New
Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978. Print.
Nachmanovitch, Stephen. Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art. New York: G.P.
Putnam's Sons, 1990. Print.
Shanley, John Patrick. The Dreamer Examines His Pillow. New York, NY: Dramatists
Play Service, 1987. Print.