*A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I started reading it in March, I didn’t know how much I needed it, until June when I started my internship. It was then that I spiralled into a constant loop of self-doubt and being my own cheerleader. I realised that my lack of courage was a big inhibitor.

I enjoyed how accessible this book was. It progressed in a way that gave sufficient context and build-up, included fitting real-life examples and contained valuable, actionable practices from professionals. The short comics were a treat and acts as a summary of the main point of the chapter. However, there were times when comics would fall in the middle of a sentence and since this was an e-copy, it was a little frustrating to navigate back and forth.

Every chapter ended with actionable activities to practice courage. While I wouldn’t say it’s revolutionary, it’s a well-structured, easy-to-understand read about how to identify fear, what values you can learn from the fear, how to take action and progress towards change. It’s great when you need a short read (145 pages) and reminders to be courageous. I think it’s a good starting point to learn more about yourself.

DRAWING ON COURAGE by Ashish Goel is part of a series produced in conjunction by Stanford d.school. This title deals with "Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making." I was happily surprised to see a teacher reading this as preparation for work that we are doing on a new Innovation Hub at school. Goel, a designer, entrepreneur, and former teaching fellow, begins with the difference between epic and everyday courage and then explains the four potential "stops" of every courage journey: fear, values, action, and change. Goel offers suggested exercises (e.g., design a mantra or slogan) and says, "Courage is when you use your wisdom to know what matters to you and you use your bravery to act in spite of the risks." Imagine how interesting it would be to work through this text with a small group of colleagues. DRAWING ON COURAGE is a relatively quick read, full of comic drawings, and helpful in terms of motivation, risk-taking, and re-framing. Related texts include Creative Acts for Curious People and Taking Charge of Change.

Drawing on Courage by Ashish Goel is an introductory quick read for finding your voice. Goel provides some great tips on 1. building up courage to speak up and 2. how to create change where you are.

While the main body of text outlines the 4-step journey that is drawing on your courage, the colorful illustrations provide quirky visual guides to many of the main ideas. My favorite section was about the Invitation Model. I had not heard of this approach, but I definitely think I will apply this in real-life. It builds upon the idea of listening to understand rather than listening to respond.

Sometimes, it felt like that comics land right in the middle of an important paragraph or thought. Much of this is due to the comics being full-page. It would have been nice if they could be more integrated into the text so it felt more cohesive. The color scheme for the comics was well selected and the typography is easy to read and looks great.

This would be an excellent recommendation for recent graduates going into college or into the workplace as they enter into new environments where they will want to speak out.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.