There come times in everyone's life when you're faced with a choice that involves risk. Perhaps you want to change careers, move to a different place, quit your job and start a business, begin a new relationship, have a child. Creatively, you may be faced with a choice of doing what you know is marketable or going out on a limb with your own vision, or giving up a steady job to follow your creative pursuits full-time.
Risk is, by nature, scary. It's uncertain and unpredictable. You're heading off into uncharted territory. You may lose your life savings or lose face. You risk criticism and humiliation, or having to pick up the pieces and start all over again. You're giving up what you know for what might be. The rewards can be great, but so can the cost.