“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” – Helen Keller

So often we are overcome with the need to compromise. We try to reach the largest audience possible. We avoid including messaging that may be remotely controversial to just a small group of people. We dumb things down to avoid any misunderstanding.

We do these things not because we want to create mediocre work. There is no marketing manager or account executive that wants to run a boring ad.

We do them because of fear. We’re afraid because we’re spending all this money and expending all these resources to get people to buy our product and we don’t want to fail. A perfectly reasonable concern.

But the problem with that mode of thinking is that advertising only works when it’s novel, resonant and interesting. And that’s nearly impossible to do without taking risks. So we’re caught in this dilemma. How do we resolve the need to satisfy the masses with the necessity to stand out by being different?

It’s not an easy task. And admittedly, we all from time to time, choose the former, which generally seems like the safer option.

But here’s the thing. Neither path is safe. Being generic, bland, non-threatening doesn’t engender loyalty. And being cutting-edge, niche, avant-garde offers no guarantees of success. So rather than seeing this as a problem, think of it as an invitation. It frees you from being “safe.” There is not security in nature. So why try to achieve it?

Be bold. Say things that you care about. Create work that matters. Make a ruckus.

To play it safe may be the most dangerous risk of all.