Dreams and failures
Sitting here writing this blog post on the patio overlooking the beach and ocean in Cabo San Lucas--DOES NOT suck!
My husband booked a 10-day vacation for my 50th birthday--possibly to distract me from the fact that I am now 50; it is a pretty intelligent and sweet deal. It is also the first vacation we have taken in over five years without any children. That feels a little weird but timely--and we hope to continue this new tradition for ourselves.
Our idea of vacation has a few requirements: 1. we do nothing, 2: we only worry about an hour a day of either walking or working out, and 3. we read a ton in the sun. And we are both super happy--this is how we both LOVE to vacation. We are not the vacationers that want to go, go, go and see everything, book excursions or fill every second of the day. No, quite the opposite. We go to completely, 100% decompress, and unload our minds.
This is where this writing session came from; when you take the time to quiet your mind, you really turn on some deep thinking. That might sound counterintuitive. But as soon as I can relax, my mind starts to dream and think about life, goals, and where and how I want to make changes. And what a perfect time to do this type of thinking at the beginning of the year.
This quote from Suzy Kassem, "Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will," is where I want to start. Because when I am journaling about this upcoming year and all I want to set goals for, I cannot help but think about what went right and wrong last year.
And even though some things may not have panned out as I intended, I learned something every time. So, we cannot let our failures scare us away from our dreams and goals. In fact, our failures should be used as kindling for that fire deep inside us to keep going. Change the course and try a different way again, but never EVER quit.
Quitting or giving up is the only way you fail. And I am talking at any time. 40's, 50's, 60's, whatever--keep thinking about what makes your heart light up. What makes you jump out of bed and get excited? Where or what do you want to change or add to your life?
I recently had a friend over to the studio. I call her a friend because even though we haven't known each other long, she and I have the most comfortable and easy conversations. Our conversations can start in one place, and before you know it, we have talked for two hours about everything. And recently, when she visited the studio, she wanted to learn more about my process--she is starting to dive into art herself. After raising children and practicing nursing for many years (we have lots in common), she is trying something new! And I could not be happier!!
That is the spark of art. We are all artists in one way or another, and I know I beat this concept to death, BUT having some creative outlet is IMPERATIVE!!
When I talk about my dreams like more art shows, getting my art everywhere, selling more, teaching more...... I don't expect you, the reader, to want the same things. I want to inspire you with my art, process, or even, in general, to get excited about what is in your heart. And never let the fear of failure be part of that journey.
