If you are not willing to do the work…
Guess what?
There is someone out there who most certainly is.
As harsh as that may seem, it is absolutely true!
And as artists, this is true x 1000%.
In an industry where there are countless artists pursuing creative paths, you better believe that you have to fully show up to the plate if you expect to break in and break through.
It is the difference between an idea and a dream.
It is the difference between a hobby and a career.
An idea and a hobby are great but there is no personal risk factor if it does not happen.
In other words, your insides are not going to be tied up in knots and you are not going to lose sleep if it does not happen for you.
It is very c’est la vie.
When we get into dreams and a career, it matters.
You better believe it matters!
You want it.
You yearn for it.
You eat, drink and sleep it.
And if it is not happening, it most likely hurts.
It can even break your heart in its absence!
It means something to you in ways that make no sense other than your soul simply craves it.
But having dreams can only take you as far as you are willing to put in the work to make those dreams materialize.
Otherwise, they are just sitting there playing around in some imaginative part of your brain pressing upon that button that makes you hope and wish for that special something that it is going to magically make those dreams actualize before your very eyes.
But it does not work that way!
The common denominator with those fulfilling their dreams is that they work their asses off to make it happen.
When I think of all my students and clients out there that are having great successes, I can tell you first hand how much work and sacrifice they have put into the work they so profoundly love.
And once they are actually doing the work they love, they are working their asses off to make sure that the quality of work they are putting out there is congruent with all the work they did to actually make it all happen.
You have to do the work to make it happen!
And let’s be honest…
There are no days off if nothing is happening.
Even if it is one small thing everyday towards your goals…
Do it!
Do not wait until tomorrow!
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Many small things add up miraculously to become huge breakthroughs.
Sometimes this means making healthy and productive sacrifices along the way to make your dreams happen.
But no one is going to do the work for you.
These are your dreams and you have to be accountable for putting in all the necessary components…
And that includes the work.
If you want to experience a reality that allows you to do what you always dreamt of doing, you have to make it not just a dream.
You need to get yourself together and start getting in there and getting your hands dirty making the path to the destination.
First, you need the passion.
That passion is the thing that drives you forward no matter how many obstacles appear along the way.
And the majority of the time, there will be obstacles.
But it is that passion that keeps your eye on the prize and reminds you of the intention of what you are going after.
And that passion is necessary because it reiterates that whatever you are going after is alive and burning beautifully in your soul.
It is that passion that allows you to meet those obstacles eye to eye, learning from them, and then using them towards your goal.
Next, you need a fire in your belly that excites you and uses your creative resources to actually start creating.
That very fire gets things out of your head and into tangible reality.
It is that fire that allows you to experiment, to fall down, to make mistakes, and to learn what is useful and what is not along the path to making it all happen.
Then there is inspiration.
You need to be inspired to keep those creative juices flowing in your Spirit to want to continue to artistically explore and implement action towards your goals.
And if you are lacking inspiration…
Go seek it out!
Open your eyes…
And your ears…
And your heart!
Walk outside and just witness the splendor in everything around you.
There is a story in everything.
And this includes things you may have thought are just meaningless objects.
Allow Life to feed your soul so you can feed your creative path.
And then there is the discipline.
You need some kind of personal discipline to hold youself accountable for not allowing the momentum of what you are going after to slip through the cracks.
That discipline is a practice, just like any other practice, that keeps you productive and moving forward.
It keeps you learning.
It keeps you growing.
It keeps you trying.
It keeps your experimenting.
It keeps you expanding.
It keeps you active.
And it keeps you productive.
Finally, and most importantly, the work has to be fun.
The second you allow the fun to dissolve…
The second the enjoyment goes out the window…
It is no longer a dream…
It becomes a burden.
And that burden dampens the passion…
It smothers the fire…
It turns out the lights on inspiration.
And it turns productive discipline into a boring and unwilling obligation.
And then all is lost.
Keep it fun and remind yourself of why you chose your creative path to begin with.
So with all that said…
What are you waiting for?
Hold yourself accountable for the realization of your dreams.
Be the one that goes to work for you because you want it and you know it is possible.
Be the CEO of your own Life and continue to grow, learn, expand and evolve.
And if you are becoming aware that any of the above components are missing, you gotta change things up so you can make $#!+ happen!
You have to be your own grand manifester.
By the nature of who we are as artists, we are already creative beings which means we already have that manifestation gene within us.
We have to utilize it if we expect$#!+ to happen.
Be the one that makes it happen for you and then experience the bliss of our dreams as your reality!
