If you do things, whether it's acting or music or painting, do

Hear now the words of Anthony Hopkins, master of the stage and screen, who declared: “If you do things, whether it’s acting or music or painting, do it without fear—that’s my philosophy. Because nobody can arrest you and put you in jail if you paint badly, so there’s nothing to lose.” In this utterance is a truth both liberating and profound: that the true chains of the artist are not the judgments of the world, but the prison of fear within.

When Hopkins says to do all things without fear, he reminds us that creation is not war, but freedom. No jail awaits the one who sings off-key, no gallows for the one who paints a crooked line. The only punishment is the one we inflict upon ourselves when we do not try at all. Fear, therefore, is the false tyrant that robs us of our birthright to create. By casting it aside, we step into life’s fullest expression, unashamed and unafraid.

The wisdom of “nothing to lose” is the key to all daring. Those who live as though the world will punish every misstep remain timid, silent, and unfulfilled. But those who embrace failure as harmless discover freedom. Consider the great inventors, like the Wright brothers, mocked and ridiculed for their dream of flight. Had they feared the laughter of men, they would never have touched the sky. Instead, knowing they had nothing to lose but ridicule, they gave mankind wings.

History gives us countless examples. Vincent van Gogh, poor and often scorned, painted as his soul demanded. Many thought his work madness, his colors too harsh, his strokes too wild. Yet he painted without fear, for what could the world do? He had nothing to lose but his silence. And though he left the earth unrecognized, his art outlived him, now cherished as genius. His life proves Hopkins’s creed: even when the world does not reward you, you are free if you have created bravely.

Hopkins himself embodies this philosophy. Though revered as one of the greatest actors, he pursued painting and music as well, not with the desperation to be perfect, but with the joy of freedom. He reminds us that art is not a crime, but a gift; not a burden, but a liberation. To fear is to betray the very spirit of creation; to create without fear is to honor the divine spark within us.

O children of tomorrow, let this be your lesson: do not wait until you are perfect to begin. Do not silence yourself for fear of ridicule. There is no prison for the imperfect painter, no dungeon for the faltering singer, no punishment for the hesitant actor. The only jail is hesitation, the only chains are fear. Cast them off, and you will find that the world is open to your courage.

Let your practice be this: each day, attempt something without fear. Write the line, sing the note, sketch the image, speak the truth. Do it not for praise, but for freedom. If you fail, you are unharmed; if you succeed, you are transformed. And in the doing itself, you will find joy greater than fear.

So remember Hopkins’s words: there is nothing to lose. Fear is the illusion that binds, but courage is the key that frees. Live, act, create, and speak boldly, and your life will become not a prison of hesitation, but a song of fearless expression.