Embracing Uncertainty

So many people hate and fear uncertainty. It causes much stress and anxiety and we often prefer certain bad news to doubt. We turn to technology for certainty, only to find we become dependent, addicted-and more anxious than ever.

But artists live with uncertainty: unsure how their work will develop, whether it will succeed or, if it does, why. Yet they have agency and independence, taking risks and running towards what they don’t know.

It has never been more necessary for us to become creative actors in our own future. So what is it about the way that artists live and work that gives them such great capacity not just to endure uncertainty but to use it so productively?

Margaret Heffernan argues for the vital integration of art into all aspects of our lives and for artists to guide us using their stamina, independence and endurance.

Author Biography

Margaret Heffernan worked for 13 years as a radio and television drama and documentary producer. She then spent eight years in the US running media technology companies and was named one of the Internet’s Top 100 by Silicon Alley Reporter and one of the Top 100 Media Executives by The Hollywood Reporter.

She is the author of six books and her TED talks have been seen by over 15 million people. She is a frequent broadcaster on BBC Radio 4 and the author of many plays and programmes. In 2023, she was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame in recognition of the impact of her work. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath and mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She chairs the board of DACS and is a parish councillor.

www.mheffernan.com