I can’t.
I just can’t live my dream because of this reason or that reason.
Sometimes we hide behind “I can’t.”
Other times, we live as victims to our own schedules and busy lives, forgetting that we actually chose the majority of it.
Photo by permission PoppArt
Living a creative life, pursuing a dream, living outside the norm becomes possible by first freeing ourselves from “can’t.”
Perhaps you choose not to live this way, then that is “I won’t,” not “I can’t.”
What does a creative life look like? Is it a full-time writer or painter or musician or street performer?
Dreams are usually attained by small first steps.
It starts where you are at right now.
It’s turning up the music in the car and singing really loud. It’s adding goat cheese or grilled peaches to your homemade pizza, putting fresh flowers in every room of the house just because, or buying an armload of balloons on a Tuesday.
Perhaps you start by inventing bedtime stories for your children (or video them for your grandchildren) and find all of your imaginations awakened and memories born by this one step.
Maybe you wear polka dot socks to every business meeting, create something on a 3D printer, take a photography class, read to a relative who doesn’t know you anymore, cook an awesome meal for a friend, text your spouse a cheesy 80’s love song, savor a glass of wine and really listen to someone else, or say thank you for a long ago gift that the giver forgot about herself.
Photo by PoppArt
It’s not just what you do, but how you see, what you feel, and how you change that evokes a creative life and starts a journey. Suddenly you see a flower stuck into a homeless man’s lapel, you pick up a penny, or pray for a stranger who looks sad at the grocery store.
Get creative with living a creative life. Start right where you are.
And know that if you “can’t,” that’s actually your choice.
You can.
Will you?
Cindy – When the kids were little I made up bed time stories with Yabo (father elephant) and Tenna (son elephant) that were akin to parables. I would use the stories as lessons for any sort of topic I could think of or was relevant. To this day I wish I had written those down.
I am also a strong believer in choice. I have a saying that I tell my colleague and friends, “There is more power in Yes.”
Cheers,
I wish you had written those stories down too, Blake. I’m sure they brought joy to your children and are a memory they’ll always cherish. Perhaps you’ll recreate them in future years when grandbabies come along. 🙂 Your 3D printing inspired a line in here.
And great quote.
Cheers back to you.