Stop Dreaming
I posted this photo yesterday on my Instagram with the caption "The Dream Never Dies".
It's a chalk drawing of the Up on the Roof logo. Up on the Roof is the name of my production company. The name has been around since the early 90s and it represented a majority of my shorts, the web series and the feature.
But after I posted that photo, I kept thinking that the caption is misleading. Dreams are not concrete. They are not bankable. They are wishes. Dreams drive us. They inspire us, but they also obfuscate us.
We've all had the late nights with our friends where we keep saying: "I just want to be _____." Fill in the blank with whatever your dream may be. I even texted that the other day to a friend of mine. But it serves no purpose. It helps no one. It's an empty wish in hopes someone will grant it.
Dreams are how we start. It's our true passions. But it's up to us to act on it. Telling people your dreams is not action, it's wishful thinking. Stop dreaming. Stop wishing. Stop drawing chalk logos and sending out vague reminders of what once was. (That last one is probably more for me)
Act. Do something. Do anything. Stop dreaming and starting making goals. Goals are tangible. They are attainable. They are the re-branded, realistic version of dreams.
I've been telling stories for 20 years, but I've never made a living from it. All those years ago, my dream was either to direct or write films. Today, my dream is a goal. And that goal is to tell stories in any form and make a living out of it. I'm in school to help with goal. I'm networking to help with this goal. I'm working with others to help with this goal.
I don't know the end game, but I know that I'm no longer dreaming.