“There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.”
Napoleon Hill
For as long as I can remember, the words ‘artist’ and ‘starving’ were tied up and married together in the worst sort of cautionary proverb. Somewhere in our society, we were warned that if we did something we loved, we would be forced to pay for it by living from hand to mouth and regretting such a decadent decision. Add a few well-meaning teachers and counselors into the loop and eventually those dreams were buried into the limitations of a practical life. The fear of becoming homeless won out over the fear of not fulfilling our innate desires.
Thus, in my world, writing and prosperity has never been a linked phrase. I cannot recall how many times I had carefully revealed my thoughts to a friend or a mentor, only to find my dreams slapped with disapproval complete with the warning that writers only make about $7000 dollars a year and that even if I became published, I wouldn’t dare quit my day job. Again and again, I allowed my mind be swayed and to give up on my dreams.
For the past few years, I have gingerly avoided the critics and naysayers and have pursued art. I have worked on mosaic and have learned to fuse glass. And although I have always written stories since I could spell my own name, I stopped for several years, but, now, I have begun to write again.
These days, my friends in the Corporate world do not seem as self assured as they once did when they warned me about the perils of following my passion. They are working for two,-themselves and the empty cubicle next to them, constantly looking over their shoulders, nose to the grindstone, running the hamster wheel and more stressed out than ever.
I have been there. I walked around, half awake, with a coffee cup in my hand and stifling a yawn. Every Friday was a migraine and my weekends were spent fretting over returning on Monday.
No, I NEVER want to go back.
I am ready to make my living creating beautiful things for others and living a creative life. I want to stretch myself and open new doors.
Most of all, I want to succeed in order to inspire THEM to go after their own dreams.
