I have decided that 2022 is the year for me to move forward with not just the creative endeavors that seem to come easily for me, but to find a way to move them into the world outside my own imagination. Not an easy task. At least it has not been. My stagnation began before the pandemic and then the desire to mire in it, with the pandemic, grew. It is amazing what can tie us down, and it is amazing how energizing it is to climb up out of the boggy mess holding us back. For me the light always shimmers through knowledge. I started thinking--dreaming mostly--then reading and then internet surfing. LOTS of wandering. Then I received an email about Inkers Mini Con. A webinar for authors about the business of writing. It was a great price and something I could view on my own time. BINGO--I was in. I found a foundation for focus. Step One: Write a business plan. Ugh, feels like so much homework, but I trudged forward, and today actually started on it. Part of the business plan process is to write measurable goals with deadlines. Yuck. And, for some reason, deadlines just means dead to me. Or, kill the dreams. So, back to the web, and I found this site for University Of The People. Isn't that a fantastic name for a learning institute? The site starts with:
"Do you know the difference between dreams vs goals? While dreams and goals may be often confused with one another, there are several differences. Just waiting for your dreams to come true on their own will never happen. Dreaming can be fun and exciting, but you’ll be waiting a lifetime without one key puzzle piece to make those dreams a reality."
"Man," I'm thinking. "They are going to kill the dreams, but they didn't. They gave the dreams a real-world existence." (Kinda like the imagination and the craft of writing gives us paranormal fantasy.)
They then said:
"There is a price for having goals and it requires hard work. Dreams are completely free and only require your imagination in order to be created. Goals, on the other hand, will need some sort of investment, like fees for courses, time spent at the gym, or training to start your own business. The best part is that as a result of your hard work and investment, goals produce results, while dreams don’t."
Don't worry, they get you there with this:
"Give yourself the time to dream. You may get so caught up in your day-to-day life that sometimes you don’t have the chance to just sit and dream. Try to schedule a few minutes a day to let your mind wander and dream. Breathe and let yourself relax. Don’t worry if you haven’t done this in a long time, your brain knows exactly what to do. You may find yourself defining your dreams and becoming more clear as you continue to give yourself more and more opportunities to dream."
Then:
"All those ideas you didn’t think could become a reality are possible when you attach those dreams and goals together."
And there it is. Be a dreamer and a worker to make it all a reality (or fantasy, depending on your genre). =]
If you're looking for a higher education program, check them out:
(https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/dreams-vs-goals-the-differences-that-matter/#:~:text=Dreams%20are%20something%20you%20create,need%20that%20kind%20of%20focus.&text=But%20for%20goals%20to%20be,to%20be%20specific%20and%20consistent).