... If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?” – Oscar Hammerstein II

Uncle Oscar... you fulfilled my first theatre dream of a paid lead role in a show- Ado Annie, Oklahoma, 1984.  "Just a girl who cain't say no" was unfortunately sort of a trap I've lived in most of my life.  The "No" I couldn't say was to what everyone else needed or wanted even when I was exhausted or had to give up my own needs to accommodate. It rarely included any needs where my dreams resided.     

So now I need to break a lifetime of habit and indulge my own whims and dreams.  I'm super grateful to have a life partner who agrees I should do just that so that's one guilt hurdle out of the way.  Thanks John! 

Last blog I said I'd set some goals in order to help me set a schedule. Goals are different than dreams in that they are actionable. But dreams stretch the imagination , so I'll rename them Dream Goals.

Current Dream Goal:  Be an invited artist at a USA Plein Art Festival.

Process: I did a Costa Rican Festival and had a blast.  Its a very new thing here and was not well attended by the public due to weather and location.  There were no sales but amazing networking, new friends, and of course always a tremendous learning curve as an artist.

I have an application in to a fest in Florida for 2023, but the list of the 2022 artists is prestigious and their work amazing. I am a long shot. I need to trust in the process and keep honing my technique and painting. My skill will grow and I'll have a body of work that represents some level of establishment. And already repeating the mantra to not take it personally when I'm rejected (a skill from theatre days, somewhat honed, but always a bit painful). 

So somewhat of a schedule emerges:

Make the bed - if John's up, otherwise he does it. A made bed is a sign of a person who takes action.  It also cuts the amount of humidity the sheets take on.

Coffee up

20 minutes of world news (we live in Costa Rica so You Tube NBC or ABC Live)

Clean up Instagram and answer any emails

Spot clean kitchen 

Stretch at least 10 minutes

Go to studio*. Bring water! Hydrate.  I tend to neglect everything once I start art- food, stretching my back, hydrating. Maybe set an alarm.

*Twice a week insert go ride my horse.

Weather permitting, plein air session! 

Knock off around 5 PM

I'll see how well I do  on these goals - which when realized will be dreams come true- and  meanwhile keep on living the dream.  Thanks Uncle Oscar.