There are moments in life that linger – not because of what happened, but because of what didn’t. The conversations left unspoken. The doors we never opened. The “what ifs” that follow us quietly. Shadows stretching behind our steps.

As a creative, I often reflect on the opportunities I let slip through my fingers. Times when fear, self-doubt or the comfort of the familiar kept me from reaching out, sharing my work or stepping into spaces that might have changed the course of my journey. I think about the collaborations that never happened. The ideas I tucked away. The chances I never gave myself.

Fear has a way of disguising itself as protection. It whispers that we’re not ready, not worthy, not enough. And when we listen, we make choices that feel safe in the moment but leave us with a subtle ache later. The ache of knowing we let fear be louder than our own voice.

Missed opportunities are rarely about one single moment. They accumulate. Each unspoken word, each ignored spark of curiosity, each creative risk we postpone out of fear becomes part of a quiet pattern that holds us back from fully living and fully creating.

But there is also something tender in these reflections. They remind me of the cost of silence, the weight of hesitation and the importance of courage in even the smallest actions. Every missed opportunity is a teacher, offering us an opportunity to pay attention. To choose differently next time. To honor the briefness of this life and the fragile beauty of our own voices.

I’m learning to stop beating myself up for the doors I never opened. I’m also learning that courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s a whisper that says: send the message, make the call, share the work or just have the damn conversation. It’s the gentle nudge to move through fear instead of waiting for it to disappear.

If you’ve felt the sting of missed opportunities, you’re not alone. But we are not defined by the moments we’ve lost – we are defined by what we choose to do next. And today, I choose to show up. To speak. To create. To take the chances fear once stole from me.

Those steps live in my art whether through the lens of the camera or the paint I splash onto paper. It’s in the colors I blend, the stories I weave and the images I finally set free into the world.

I’m interested in your experience with what could have been. 

• What is one opportunity or conversation you’ve been holding back from?
• What small, brave step could you take today to release it into the world?