Yesterday evening I walked home from work with a big smile on my face, feeling excited about recent goals. I suppose it all stems from a desire to be more outgoing – I'm naturally shy and reserved – but I've had a strong desire to reconnect with old friends, forge stronger relationships with new friends, and get myself and my art work out into the world.

In school, art professors stressed the importance of dismissing our shyness when interacting with the art world. One even told me having two drinks (no more, no less) at gallery openings was the key to effective networking. Laugh if you want to, but those of us who get seriously anxious about calling our friends on the weekend need to think outside the box at events that require us to project ourselves to total strangers.

While I haven't handed out business cards at too many openings lately, I have made a concerted effort to branch out in my everyday life. This week I did two things that bolstered my confidence and sense of excitement about my work. I submitted five photos to Lotta Art, an annual benefit show for Baltimore's School 33 Art Center. I feel really good about this regardless of the outcome,but if my images get chosen it will be a great opportunity for me to get out and get to know some more visual arts people around town.

Entering work into juried shows can be intimidating at first – until you realize there really is nothing to lose. If your images don't get chosen, so what? Obvious as it may sound, that concept took me a long time to internalize.

Second on my list, I just emailed a friend to talk about some brand new ideas I've had for my work. My new direction – should I choose to take it – will be much more personal than anything previous, so talking about it was just as difficult as having any other personal conversation (here we go with the shy thing again). However, once I clicked “send” I felt this great sense of excitement, as if my view of the world gained value with the act of sharing it.

Who knows, maybe it does. I've always been a somewhat private person, more comfortable discussing ideas and opinions that didn't reveal much about myself. My art has reflected the same: intellectually interesting with minimal personal risk. As I get older and work to establish myself personally and professionally in a new city, I suddenly feel a need to be more alive. I want to take risks, I want people to know more about me.

In general, I'd recommend everyone take a few more personal risks. What do any of us have to lose? On the other hand, there is so much to gain by getting yourself out there: new relationships, new opportunities, a wider network, more of your art hanging in shows.