We spent last month looking at how we can plan for better goals but there is a gap between what we plan for and the reality making those dreams come true. Achieving a dream is hard work, with only a few exceptions most of our dreams are currently out of our reach. This is what makes them dreams. If we could roll out of bed and just make them happen then we would not call them dreams (we would call it breakfast!). The uphill struggle to make a dream reality can be a rude awakening to most but that does not mean that your dreams are impossible.
There is no end of schemes and workshops promising that if you give some deity or scummy human person large sums of money then all of your dreams will come true. This is not reality. If you want your dream to succeed then there is only one way to make it happen. You have to roll up your sleeves and get to work. That is what we will be talking about this month. Short essays on what it means to chase your passion, to hone your skill, and to work hard. There are no short cuts, but I can share at least one bit of advice for the aspiring dreamer out there. Never give up on your dreams.
Last year was a hard one for me. I came into 2020 with high hopes, and big goals. Then the pandemic hit all of us, and I watched most of those goals crumble. I lost touch with the things that gave me inspiration and life and eventually I hit a wall. This revelation is not a surprise for readers who saw a frustrating lack of content last year. During that time I began to wonder if I was done, maybe it was time to stop writing. I hadn’t made any headway on my writing projects and the blog was in shambles. It had been fun while it lasted!
There is something about writing that I love. Maybe it is the joy of using words like an artist uses lines to fill in amazing worlds. Maybe it is just being able to escape from my own head and explore fascinating characters. I found that when I stopped writing my brain did not stop coming up with new and wonderful ideas I wanted to explore. I have only one avenue that can bring these new worlds to life, writing. These are my worlds, and it will be my words that give them life.
To be honest I was fully expecting to go into NaNoWriMo in 2020 and bomb out of it. Facet, the project I was working on, was a bit flimsy. The world building and magic were full of holes, I had to make up most of it as I went. By all accounts it should have failed. I loved those characters though, and I kept at it. Last years WriMo was one of the most successful attempts I have had to date. I am still working on filling Facet‘s gaps, and strengthening the parts that are weak but I am so proud of it, so happy with the outcome. I can’t wait for everyone to have the chance to experience it.
I could have given up. I could have walked away from writing as I once did with my art. I didn’t though. I kept trying. I kept working. I kept searching. Eventually I found my way out of the dark funk of 2020 and am excited for what 2021 is going to bring. This year is the year you can make your dreams come true. Keep reaching. Keep searching. Don’t give up on your dreams, make them come true.