I love selling my mosaics online and will not stop as long as there is a way to do it. However, I have more in mind and a dream that hasn't left me in years. It has changed slightly but the basic dream is the same:
I see a large studio space big enough to house tables filled with people of all ages playing with tiles and pieces of glass learning how to mosaic. As each develop the love and confidence to make larger projects, this studio will be where they can come to create them. Walls lined with items to purchase: glass, substrates, tools, glues, grouts and all things mosaic, including how-to books filled with inspiration on one side of the room, my art and art produced by others line the opposite wall. Some for sale, some to admire.
All tables, chairs, counter spaces are covered in a mosaic treatment. Some chairs are painted with dots and doodles; all are artistic and fun. Bright and colorful. Inviting and welcoming.
In the back of this space is a well-lit room - skylights as well as workshop lighting help light the area - and it is where I have a place to work on large pieces of furniture and old windows, large wall art and murals. Basically mosaics bigger than 10x10 inches. I have room to grow. Sinks, grinders, an office and bathroom, big double doors to open up the area even more allowing the sunshine and furniture being worked on and sold in/out.
Yes, that's some of what I see when I close my eyes. These are the highlights. I have 3 handwritten pages so far of what a perfect day would be for me. This is just a small portion of it.
The best part of this exercise is that it's very possible to achieve. With the right connections; partners in business and financial help, I can make this dream come true and a reality. How exciting is that?!
And so begins the journey to make it happen. Working each day, a little or a lot, to find what I need to do this. I'm no longer saying "by next year" like I was in the beginning when I first thought of saying these things out loud. Instead I'm allowing the Universe to continue to connect me with people as time goes on. I do have a 2 year goal, 5 year goal, 10 year goal. For this first step into a new adventure, I know I'll have to stay aware and open to all possibilities. I might chat with someone online later today that might have some information I didn't have yesterday. Still ... I'm not afraid to reach out and start the process before I think I'm ready. I can take a leap of faith. And that's what it's all about for me. Believing in myself and this dream.
A few years ago, I started following a wonderful coach, Mike Dooley. His YouTube videos and advice are free and he's so enthusiastic about life. Find him, watch him, be inspired by him. Sign up for TUT, his "Notes From The Universe" that plop into your email box each day. Be encouraged to live your dreams, follow your heart. There's no way to avoid his positive outlook and why would you want to? I love TUT and read it each morning while sipping my coffee. Loving the jolts of positive vibes from the email AND my cuppa.
In January of this year, I joined his free month-long program: "Infinite Possibilities Project" and wrote down everything he said each day on my computer. Once I got through the month, I printed all the information out and put it aside. January is a great month for resolutions but it is also a great month to disappoint yourself by trying to do too much, too soon. I knew I wasn't ready to really do the work he suggested we do.
This month, April, I pulled out the information and started to do his daily suggestions but not right away. Believe it or not, I forgot I had a wealth of information only a few inches away and within easy reach. Among these daily suggestions was to create your perfect day on paper. Some of it is described above for you to read what I wrote once I started to do the work.
You may recall that I wrote the initial thoughts on Facebook and here in the blog. Networking is a big part of what I do. I was not disappointed with the suggestions and offers of advice and well-wishes. You all rock!!
From the advice I got from sharing the dream, I started a search for creative coaches in my area. The one I found in Pennsylvania suggested I expand my search to find some marketing experts because my social media skills were good. That meant that I was more ahead of this dream than even I imagined! How about that?!
I found 3 coaches on a website called Creative Coaching Association that I felt could offer some free advice and help me figure out what I needed to do. It's a fantastic website; if you are looking for a coach to help you with your business, that is a great place to start. They aren't free, they charge for their services and rightly so. But I sent an email to each sharing the information I shared here on the blog and Facebook about what I'd like help with.Because I have no budget, free information is all I can gather right now. And I got some! The first gave me the advice to find another coach, the second one gave me quite a bit to think about and websites to look at and I never heard from the third one. I'm okay with that. Using the information the second coach provided, I found some interesting things to help me along the way.
She said: First and foremost, I had to get specific on what I wanted. Not "whatever comes along". I knew I needed to focus on the first step but I wasn't yet sure what that should be. As I read what this coach wrote about writing at least 3 pages of the perfect day, including smells and colors around me, I kept thinking I'd seen this somewhere before. Well, duh. Mike Dooley's program from January!! I had all I needed to help me focus on my dreams printed and stuffed in a sketch pad. Silly me!! Palm to face in exasperation!
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| Thank you Captain Picard for the visual. |
I also found an Idea Development Coach, offering a few FREE workshops on how to take your ideas and put them into actions. Kathy Rasmussen is energetic and informative. I've take two of her workshops so far and find her engaging and fun.
The first workshop was to create vision boards. I've tried to make them over the years and found I was adding so many photos and printouts of quotes that they became a jumbled mess. It would get placed in a corner or torn down because when I looked at it, I become overwhelmed or worse, sad that nothing there was coming true. I wouldn't meet any of the goals or visions after a year. Vision boards weren't working for me. But I didn't realize that I could make many smaller versions and use them as a catalyst to create the life I wanted!
Using a cool website Canva, I created one and only one, small vision board using one and only one goal, idea and a few thoughts. I posted it on Pinterest, printed it out and stuck it to an old TV I no longer use (gotta use the space I have around me to the fullest!) which made the perfect size for a vision board. This weekend I plan to create another board, focusing on the next goal.
Looking at this small vision board keeps me focused on what I want to do. I don't feel overwhelmed, I don't feel upset by it at all. It is one small way I can remind myself of ways to get what I need in the years to come.
Next week, I'll share more information and the next vision board. I hope to entertain some folks with my journey but I also hope I can inspire you all to keep dreaming! Let's make our dreams come true together!! Feel free to write to me any time asking any questions or share some of your dreams below in the comments section. Enjoy the moments.
STATEMENT: None of the people or links above are affiliated with me in any way. I don't get paid to promote them nor do I work for them. I have nothing to gain except to share the love. Sharing the ways I find what I'm looking for is a very good thing to do if it can help someone else.
Stay peaceful, Cindy
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