“In the hero’s journey, the wanderer returns home after years of exile, struggle, and suffering. He brings a gift for the people. That gift arises from what he has seen, what he has endured, what he has learned. But the gift is not the raw material alone. It is the ore, refined into gold, by the hero/wanderer/artist’s skilled and loving hands. You are that artist. You are that hero.  Give us all you’ve got.”
Today is the day for remembering dreams.
People’s dreams change the world.
Their dreams become the realities that make us see things differently.
Their dreams become the songs that inspire us, the buildings that impress us, the books that transform us.
Their dreams are the fuel I have lived on for most of my adult life.
But then you and I must ask ourselves, “What are our dreams?”
Dare we speak them or harder still, share them? Â What about the fear that paralyzes us, that threatens to choke off our dreams before they’re given a proper chance?
I wrote my dreams down once.
But I kept that paper clutched tight to my heart.
Because what if? Â What if I’m not good enough? Â What if there’s not enough time or money or talent?
What if life gets in the way? Â What if my dreams never come true?
And I’ve spent 30 years chasing a lot of things, maybe even a few dreams.
Some have come true and some are buried beneath a heavy yoke of excuses.
Here’s what you need to know, my friend.
We need you to dream your dreams.
But more than that, we need you to do the hard work that it takes to make those dreams come true.
What if you finally had the courage to speak your heart to the world.
What is the dream you dream?
What is the gift that you have to bring to us from your years of struggle.
We need you.
Your gifts, your dreams —–could change everything.
****************************
Tomorrow, I am releasing a little dream of mine into the world.
(I still hold tight to my lifelong dream of being traditionally published but for now, my dream has smaller wings!)
After months of  long hours in front of my computer, I am finally ready to release my first ebook!
I could really use your help to spread the word.
Thank you, in advance, for how you have supported my struggle and my art through the years.
You have given me the courage to show up, to dream, and to write about the hope that is in me.
Bless you for that.
Now, give us what you’ve got!
Anne Hathaway “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables
quote above from The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles