The Magic of Disney

I just recently came home from an Alaskan Cruise.  But not just any cruise, a Disney cruise... I was all packed; I brought my warm undershirts, lots of layers, camera and my cynical, "Disney is cheesy and just for kids" attitude.  I could not have been more wrong.

Disney is Magic.  The basis of what the brand has created is built on dreams, not silly I want to be a millionaire without working dreams but life dreams.  What this brand stands for is the belief that if you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are!  What a statement.  There were a number of things about the experience that I will always take with me, but not the least of which was watching my son (4 years old) jumping out of his seat in pure joy while watching the performers sing a song from The Lion King.  His elation was so real, so raw it was inspiring.

As if this was not enough, to close the show the cruise director stood onstage and told us his story getting hired as a DJ and dreaming to one day be a cruise director, and there he was, living his dream.

I urge you, dream, don't stop because you are "too old," dare to dream.  It's scary, I know, but when it seems to hard to dream remember this, "If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme."

Thank you Disney for keeping our dreams alive.

Success

After much deliberation about the subject of my first blog I realized that I am only considering having a blog in the first place because of how excited I am to share my passion with others.  That was an exciting thought.  I spent my first 7 years after college doing the "responsible" thing.  I got married, I started a financially focused career which I had early and often success, I had a baby, I even bought a house.  My list kept getting checked off for the perfect adult life.  There was a problem, I was miserable.  I was living someone else's dream, not my own.

After some forced turmoil in my personal life I realized that if I didn't start to live the life that I wanted, I would never achieve real success.  This success is not built on bankroll, asset collection or even notoriety in the community, but on the lifestyle that I longed for, a life in the theatre.

I came to realize that the only place I was truly happy was when I was surrounded by like minded artists.  The mind of an artist just works differently.  It is not a simply yes or no and right and wrong like in the business world, it is more of how and why not?  This spirit is one that fuels creativity and the creation of art (Look I made a hat) is, to me, the most exciting rush to experience.

I made the jump.  I am still in financial work (Development) but now my focus, customers and co-workers are all artists or art lovers.  I cannot put into words how everything has changed.  I am appreciative of my art, fellow artists and the arts community for providing such an incubator for creative energy.

Follow your dreams, listen to your heart and let your passion be your guide.  Everyone around you will thank you and you will find your success.