What Are Your Creative Dreams? Plus a challenge for you!!!

So last week I introduced myself and we talked about what I'm doing with my life.

Today I want to know what YOU want to do with YOUR life.

The title of last week's post was "Who The Heck Do I Think I Am?"

This is a question that a lot of us get asked when we start thinking about pursuing a creative dream. People often squash their own creative dreams because they need the security of being able to pay the bills, or they have kids to raise, or a host of other - completely valid, I might add - excuses. However, that can lead to a very angry and bitter existence, and a lot of assumptions. My own mother was like this. God knows, I loved that woman. She was smart and funny and spunky and witty and beautiful. She was also verbally abusive. (This is not about that. I have forgiven her for that and recognize that she was doing the best she could with what she was given.) One of the constant refrains that she used to yell at me and my brother was, "When do I get to do what I want to do?"

I think a lot of blocked creatives feel that way. When do all the do-ings of the world just go away so we can pursue whatever our creative dream is? Those of us who have busted through (and are still busting through) creative blocks and are starting to feel more fulfilled creatively will tell you that the do-ings of the world don't go away.

Whatever your creative dream is, you have to MAKE TIME. And don't rely on your kids, your spouse, or your friends to make it happen for you, or even buy in. A lot of times, they won't. Hold your head up, be the crazy magic sparkly colorful unicorn (pirate, ninja, shark, insert your spirit character here), and DIVE IN.

But what if I don't know what my creative dream is?

Ooh, excellent question. Well, I'm going to give you a tip that is likely to make you want to run and hide. Write it out. In her seminal work on rediscovering creativity, The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron introduces a concept very early on in the book called "morning pages." She is very specific that they must be done as three longhand, stream-of-consciousness pages first thing in the morning, preferably before your feet hit the floor. Her reasoning behind this is solid; the end-game is to get past the inner critic and write about what you're really feeling. And if you can do it that way, that's the best way to go. It's incredibly effective. I discovered things about myself that I never would have had I not followed Julia's instructions to the letter. So I would recommend that you start by forcing yourself to make time to do this first thing in the morning. 

Julia would probably call me a heretic, a charlatan, and a fraud for saying this, but I have discovered that as long as you write about that amount at some point during the day, you'll still receive some benefit. So don't beat yourself up if making the time in the morning isn't working for you. I have found that using the website 750words.com is my best option. As the page says on its opener, "It's about a new habit. Writing. Every. Day."

Maybe you take beautiful pictures and want to parlay that into a part-time (or even full-time) photography business. 

Maybe you are a fabulously gifted painter and your goal is to have an exhibition in a gallery. 

Maybe you play the saxophone brilliantly and your dream is to play on stage to a sold-out crowd. 

What does writing have to do with any of those things? I feel you. I do. When I first started keeping morning pages, my goal was to be a singer/songwriter like Sarah McLachlan. And I grumbled about doing morning pages. I value my sleep. I didn't want to get up 30 minutes or an hour earlier to write whatever was in my head before I even had a cup of coffee. I'm telling you. It works. Trust me. Do this for eight weeks (yes. I hear you. But yes, eight weeks) and then look back over your patterns.

So I present to you... The Journaling Challenge. If you are a creative person looking for their creative dream... If you have a dream but no idea how to make it reality... If you have a dream, have an idea how to make it reality, but don't know how to start... then this challenge is for you!

Commit to eight weeks of daily writing. Any time of day. Any format, but in some format where you can go back and review it in eight weeks.

I'll create a Facebook group where we can share, post daily prompts, and I can post encouraging quotes, etc. (Oh, darn, a reason to look up inspirational memes.)

I'll be writing on 750words.com so feel free to follow me on there. I promise to follow back.

Who The Heck Do I Think I Am?

Who Do I Think I Am, Anyway?

Well, who do I think I am?

Who am I to be trying to teach creativity?

I mean, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in music education…

For the longest time, I’ve thought I was a fraud.  Or that I didn’t know enough, or that I was book smart, but not practically smart.

(When you grow up with a mother who constantly tells you that you have no common sense, that really dulls your sparkle.)

And the truth of the matter is, I really don’t have any common sense.  I think and dream big.  I’m a big person with a big personality and a myriad of big ideas.

I’m a huge believer in the old adage, “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

One of my role models is SARK.  She once said she had 250 jobs before she became a writer.

I haven’t had quite that many.

But I’ve had a lot of different ones.

I’ve been a dishwasher, a deli clerk, a night desk clerk, a tutor, a teacher, a phone interviewer, a Mary Kay beauty consultant, an outbound call center representative, an inbound call center representative, a Lia Sophia jewelry advisor, a secretary, and a virtual assistant.

Now, I’m the Executive Director of this amazing non-profit called the Everybody Can Play Music Collective.  Our mission is to give music lessons to any child in my county who wants them, regardless of ability to pay.  This is my creative dream.

And yet, something keeps lingering in the back of my mind.

I’ve always wanted to help other women reach their creative potential too.  And this desire won’t lie silent in my heart anymore.

As a side business to the Collective, I’d like to spend summers traveling around the country doing creativity retreats.  I’m starting small – a weekend retreat in my hometown this summer, but based on how well that goes, I’m going to look into booking others.

I have lots of ideas here.  Free PDF worksheets, online workshops, and other fun stuff.  

Sharing a lot about those things that have helped me along the way.

And lots about what inspires me, in hopes you’ll also share what inspires you.

Sending love, hugs, and flower petals of inspiration…