I taught a workshop yesterday, to a group of domestic violence survivors who meet once a month to share and heal their inner most fears through art and the creative expression. 

Some of these women are newly free from their abuser, some have been long gone from the situation; however, the memories, the fears and anxieties are still very real.  Someone once told me that fear isn’t real – I am here to tell you, it is real, it never truly goes away, and it almost always has something of importance to say to you.

Fear to me is like a character in a play – you can assign it a new role or write it out of the play altogether.  Fear often comes from the past – it’s a learned response that may no longer apply. Fear need not bind you, for it can be a useful tool.  It can be a warning – hey, car coming! Pay attention! Or

Fear can serve as a personal guide, that informs you about you. Once you have a conversation with your character called Fear, things don’t seem so unsurmountable or difficult to overcome.