Inspiration Fridays! Do Your Dreams Pay Rent?
Do Your Dreams Pay Rent?
I can’t begin to count the times, that I have been caught acting as both the host and guest of honor at my own pity party. The venue? Generally, it’s a roller-coaster. Each high and low, seemingly both brand new and completely insurmountable. But then the ride stops, I get off, and begin to reflect on why I got on in the first place.
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been” – Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot)
The seeds of these pity parties are generally rooted in some sort of fabricated expectation. “I should own my own island by now!” or “Without a solo show in New York, my art is meaningless!” or “I shouldn’t be this sore, I haven’t even left the house today!” Tea is served, and tensions quickly escalate. Before I realize it, I’ve spiraled into hopelessness and despair, and all this before the biscuits have even cooled.
Pass the lemon marmalade. I like my biscuits bitter.
I’m not sure about the island, I don’t even think I want one. New York is still on the table if I’m willing to take the steps needed to get there. And I clearly need to stretch and get out of the house.
American Dream – Gabriel Mark Lipper – 36″x108″ – oil on three panels
We all have dreams. They live with us like roommates. Some of whom we’d love to stay up with late-night, arguing the questionable merits of tequila and Gauguin. While others are better sealed off in their rooms with a headset and some video games.
When our dreams inevitably move out, will we chase them down and propose, happily giving our lives away to the thrill of following what we love? Or instead, sell off their things on Craigslist and change the locks. Dreams are enchanting and beautiful. They fill us with hope and curiosity. But there’s a downside too. What if they never move out? What if they stay on with us forever, but only as fantasy?
What makes the island untenable, a show in New York debatable, and a brisk walk to the store so doable? The amount of steps needed to get there. They’ve all arrived from the inspired carnival of our psyche and live rent-free in our heads until we decide whether or not to act. It’s this decision to act that buys the ticket.
Even the smallest steps toward our dreams create momentum. That creative momentum is the gift that comes with our art and that gift is unstoppable. It’s important to recognize that there’s no need to wait for the perfect moment or a new beginning; Now is a good time to start. And then? Don’t stop.