A Fearless Existence

What is a fearless existence? Well, to understand the idea of living without fear, we must first understand what fear is and the role that it plays in our daily lives. Fear presents itself in many ways - it begins with thoughts and manifests in our daily behavior. A common example of fear is when we want something and we immediately begin making excuses against it in our minds…”it’s not the right time, not the right fit, what if I’m not good enough?, what if they say no?”, etc. These excuses aka “fears”, if left to linger longer than they should, will then lead to lack of action towards what we want. You know these well…fear of rejection, fear of success, fear of incompetency, fear of the unknown, and so on.

So then what would it take to lead a fearless existence? To me it is about realizing that fears are just internalized self defeating thoughts that inhibit personal growth. About acknowledging the fact that they are created within ourselves, by ourselves and thus we are the only ones standing in the way. It would take the ability to fight those fears and replace them with the opposite - EXCITEMENT

This month’s #MondayMuse editorial was created as a reminder that so long as you are clear about what you want in life, the world will find ways to put you face to face with what you’ve asked for. Will you allow your fears to get in the way or will you trust the signs and dive in fearlessly? 

My featured model, OUIDA, is a singer/songwriter and insanely kind-hearted friend from San Francisco. When I was putting together the details for this shoot, I specifically wanted her to maintain an empowered yet feminine quality. I chose to shoot on a foggy morning on the beach to represent an unknown future; blurry and vast but the perfect blank canvas to make new waves. My makeup artist, Jeanette, kept things minimal and youthful with soft edges and a warm palette while my wardrobe stylist, Sophia Marie, put together a look that embodied the perfect balance of androgynous boss lady and soft feminine flair. 

After our shoot I asked OUIDA to share some thoughts on the idea of a fearless existence and here is what she had to say:

EV MARQUEE: In your opinion, what does it mean to live a fearless life?

OUIDA:To live fearlessly is to act with intention, self belief, compassion, and responsibility. Doing the work you need to do to know yourself, know your needs and deepest desires, and holding yourself accountable for fulfilling them yourself. It is much easier to be content in complacency and routine, to subscribe to beliefs that ask you to stop challenging yourself, or look for change in one’s life in places that ultimately don’t start with yourself.” 


EV MARQUEE: How would living without fear translate in your personal journey as an artist? 

OUIDA: “When I moved to New York at eighteen, I began to doubt, for the first time, that I could actually balance my responsibilities with little more than optimism and tireless nights. I think that naivety in some ways served me at the time, propelling me to chase my dreams with very little more than my passion and belief that I’d be this singer/songwriter success-story at some point if I could hang in there long enough. I thought if I had known better, I might never have moved, or taken any of the steps or sacrifices I’ve had to make in this journey to stand by my values and be loyal to the authenticity of my music and sound in business. But I have recently come to truly understand that all of the obstacles and fears I have come to face are merely a curriculum of the next lessons I need to learn in my evolving as a woman and artist.” 

OUIDA: “A fearless existence is one that is informed of the challenges yet appreciates the process of becoming.”

Ps: Sometimes a flock of birds will align above you in the shape of an arrow. LET THE WORLD LEAD THE WAY ;)

BE A VIP: #MondayMuse is published on the 1st Monday of every month and is dedicated to honoring female empowerment and all around beauty. If you’ve enjoyed this editorial and would like to receive future #MondayMuse sets directly in your email, sign up here, it’s FREE. 

Also, if this set resonates with you, you have any questions or would just like to share your thoughts, please comment below - what did you like most about it? I’d love to hear all of it. 

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