I know I posted my Dream Birth Announcement before but here it is again.
I just had the most fantastic experience. I took an online class by a woman who calls herself SARK. The class was called Dream Boogie. It was about following your dreams to the fullest extent. This was SARK’s first online class and I was proud to be a part of it.
I was in need of something to keep my dream alive. It was getting harder to keep focused and I was spending more time playing computer games and watching Criminal Minds.
Then this class came along and I jumped at it. It was 8 weeks of fun and bright movement. I met other dreamers who were also stuck or at a crossroads. We got homework and workbooks with intense questions and activities. We listened to tapes of interviews with creative dreamers. We also took part in a live phone conference call every week. We couldn’t just listen. We were asked to respond to questions and were put in small groups to talk to each other.
The class was multi-dimensional. We had to listen, read, talk, write, draw, think, ask and answer. One of the things we were asked to do was to draw a picture of our dream(s). This was right up my alley.
This quickly became a habit with me I spent a lot of time on the social network created just for the class. I looked forward to printing out my book for the week, doing the homework and communicating with the other dreamers.
Now the class is over and the site is closed to me. I sent my email to those who friended me and got some emails in return. I will find a way to keep up with these dreamers. It would be nice if we did have our own social network. I know how and where to start one but it is for someone else to do right now.
In the meantime I have printed out my workbooks, put them in a binder and put them and the taped sessions on a DVD.
If you want to take part in a future Dream Boogie class just check out her site.
Know when to let go
Many times we find ourselves nurturing a habit that no longer fits our lifestyle or is no longer good for our well being.
As I re-determine each morning to live the life of an artist no matter what, I have to ask myself what I should hold on to and what I should let go of.
Today I got a notice that my SCBWI membership is about to expire. I had coveted this membership so badly years ago and was happy to finally scrape up the money to become part of this prestigious society of artists.
But as my vision for myself and my dream transformed and solidified I realized that much my art would be for adults. I realized that I did not want to illustrate someone else’s words. I did not want an editor telling me to make the skin lighter on my characters.
Still, I have clung to SCBWI for several years. But the more I read the message boards the more I realize that this is not my crowd. Their values are not my values. They were even having a discussion about dragons being too scary for children. That to me was just too anal and stupid for me to deal with. No editor dictates what I create.
So I have decided to say Good-bye to SCBWI. There are other places for me to spend my money and other ways to make it.
Think about what you have in your life that is doing you no good. Can you get what you need from other sources? Is your money and time better spent in other endeavors? Is it time to let go?