In 2013, Emily Ann Peterson was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor, which forever altered her two-decade livelihood as a cellist/cello teacher. Refusing to lose her life's love of expression, she knew she’d have to be brave. In an act of neurological defiance, she expanded into wider mediums and broke through her creative glass ceiling, opening the door to limitless possibilities through songwriting.
Her best-selling book Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous helps people from all walks of life understand what bravery really is - allowing them to step into it by creatively using vulnerability, imagination and improvisation. She also founded The School of Bravery, a learning lab for creative visionaries which supports everyday heroes and creative entrepreneurs prepare, endure, and recover from their seasons of bravery.
Emily Ann's community of fans, listeners, and readers offers a welcoming, safe place for creative misfits to finally find belonging and acceptance. Emily Ann writes for people who struggle to remember what hope feels like and sings to those who yearn for something secret. She speaks to those who are done being bored and crave all things beautiful, strong, sacred, and sensual. Her goal is to inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.
Things we discuss in today’s episode:
What the f*ck bravery actually means
How developing a hand tremor totally changed the trajectory of her life
The frustration of hearing words like “keep being brave” or “you’re so brave”
How traumatic events can shift your identity
The process of writing a book
The starving artist mentality
What her research on bravery showed her
How she confessed her love to a guy in the most creative and amazing way
