What I Would Do, Grounded Girlacrylic and gold paint pen on moleskine, 5x8"
I painted this one yesterday, inspired by this image. My addiction to pinterest DOES pay off.
Anyway, I've been very caught up in house hold duties. It is my first end of school as a parent, and I am making all sorts of plans to help my son get ready for first grade, since he was still struggling a little at the end of kindergarten. I've made a school alcove and project plans, and have started on some other things, like a paint chip alphabet set. I'll show those when I get a little farther along. I've got a star chart for overcoming challenges, finishing projects and chores and have even made a little box of treats for them when they've hit a certain number of stars.
A lot of work.
I have, however, been letting the novel writing slide. I was at a place in the rewrite where I realized I needed to delete another chapter, and it all seemed like it was going so slow, and I was realizing that I was not able to do this writing thing full time, seeing as I have a job and kids to take care of. For a while, I thought this meant that I should give up, that I would never get to the point I wanted to reach, never finish this book, never publish.
But I think that was part of the process.
When I stepped back a little and realized that this was a marathon, not a sprint, it helped. When I began to think about how everything in my life feeds into my dreams, where I want to go and what I need to do, I stopped thinking that "this" (being the life I am actually living) is blocking "that" (being the life that I dream of living).
So yesterday when I started painting, I was half way into the painting, with all it's layers and ticks and hatches, and I realized that THIS was what I would do. Remember the long term goals, and add up all those little seconds and small efforts and baby steps, and realize that these are what get me to my dreams. These are the things that build up and create the dream as a real thing, not a fantasy.
This one. This life. It's the same as that one. That dream.
What small things in your every day life are leading you, slowly, to your dreams. Honor them.
First of all - I love Grounded Girl! She's so bold and strong.
ReplyDeleteI also love your message here. It's so easy to get caught up in the life that has not yet materialized, a dream that we think is not yet in our reach. I also have dream of one day publishing my writing (although not yet at the novel writing stage), and can see how that dream can set me outside of myself. Small steps.