We spend a lot of time on the Dream Anvil talking about diligence and determination. The reason is because I am trying to encourage you to see your dreams through, even when times are hard. But lets not forget the reason we first picked up our pens and paints and aprons. It is because we love what we do.
All work and no play makes for a dull and boring life. The same can easily be said about our dreams. I didn’t make the choice to become a writer, to follow my dream, like I would a math problem. In fact becoming a writer was an illogical and ill-conceived idea from that should have failed from the start. It didn’t fail and I’ve not looked back since. I made my decision because I love telling my stories; I did it because I could not imagine a life in which I was not a writer. Want to have a spirited conversation? Ask a writer about their stories. Ask a painter their favorite painting. Even the most dour wallflower will come alive when asked about something that they love. Yet when we chase after our dreams we run the risk of losing sight of that joy.
Dreamers spend an inordinate amount of time chasing down their imaginations. Authors especially, grind through a huge volume of work just to publish a single book. I think I’ve read Broken Vessels at least ten times if you add up all the writing and edits. And I am still finding new sections to improve. When you have your nose buried in your work, editing your book for the billionth time, it can be easy to forget the joy that first attracted your to your dreams. The love and the passion can fade as the drudgery takes its toll. This is why I started the Story Time posts last year, so I could work on creating something else. So I could still have fun writing new little stories while working on something much larger. It worked for a while, those stories are some of my favorites even now. But I was ill prepared for the work load, which is why Story Time has not returned with Dream Anvil 2.0 (yet). Those stories helped me punch through my first round of heavy editing by injecting some much needed creative joy to my life.
It’s funny how a little bit of joy or a bit of melancholy can change your perspective on your dreams. In a conversation I was having with my mentor a few weekends ago I mentioned how I felt dry, like a marker with no ink. I would come home and ignore my writing time. I didn’t want to look at another word. Maybe writing wasn’t for me after all? Today I am eager to come home and crack open my story journal or my laptop. I have a new project on my mind. A new world is being fashioned at my fingertips! I have new characters to explore, new places to experience. How could that not bring a smile to my face? And it’s driving me to finish my previous book. I am doing double the work and I am happy to do it. I know. Weird. What changed? I fell back in love with writing! I got back to what makes me, me.
Every dreamer once started out with a first love. The thing that first made them want to chase their crazy dreams in the first place. Find that love and cling to it. Draw upon it for strength and support when you are to blind to see why you are chasing this dream. Don’t forget to have fun! Enjoy your journey to your dreams. Our Dreams are fueled by our passions; don’t forget what drew you to your dream and go out there and chase them down!
Now if you will excuse me. I have some books to go write.