Chasing Our Dreams Together

September 13, 2014

Once upon a time, my life revolved around theatre, art, music, dance, writing.

Then I married and had a family and my life revolved around them. Over the years I did less theatre, less writing, less teaching, less performing as ballet classes, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, soccer games, baseball games, school functions, and corporate jobs took up more time.

I didn’t realize how far away I had gotten from my roots until I saw a notice about an Artist’s Way group years ago. I knew something was missing, I just didn’t know what. That “what” was creativity.

I didn’t finish that original group. About halfway through I was cast in a show and found myself back in theatre world. (Wahoo!)

Over the years we’ve been a touchstone for each other, coming back together to explore other books (Vein of Gold, Walking in This World, Desire Map). Sometimes we get together to go to each other’s shows or exhibitions. Sometimes we get together just to be together because we energize, uplift, and encourage each other.

Maureen and Shari at Shari’s Booth – Winter Park Doggie Art Festival 2014 – we had a blast!

We’ve been there through deaths in our families, creative triumphs, celebrating job changes, mourning job losses, mourning jobs gained that leave less time for artistic pursuits. We’ve been through moves and marriage. We’ve held each other’s hands and kicked each other’s fannies when we needed to stop talking and dithering and get moving.

Good food and candlelight

Last night was one of those magical nights when we got together just to be together. We sat on couches and on the floor. We ate Mexican food, mini scrumptious bundt cakes and chocolate by candlelight, drank sangria and beer, laughed, talked, caught up on what each of us is doing now, remembered good times past, cheered each other on, brainstormed about our challenges and next steps for our dreams, and missed those who couldn’t be with us (Lillian lives far away now, Maureen was moving, Tori needs a new babysitter).

We decided that our new group project is ticking off as many things on our bucket lists as we can and having a blast doing it. We’re off to a good start – Elle’s poetry reading in a couple of weeks, my new show next month (and two more after that!), weekend at the beach, hiking in the mountains, picnic for Dale’s birthday, airboating, a scenic boat trip (the first one got rained out), zip-lining (haven’t done that since the Air Force!).

We may go for weeks or even months not seeing each other, just doing quick email and Facebook fly-bys when life gets in our way. It’s difficult to get all of us together at the same time. The pace of life has increased and we’ve learned to take what we can get when we can get it with as many of us as we can gather and “Wish I could be there!” messages from those who can’t make it (usually me if I’m doing a show). Somehow the bond between all of us is renewed, even when some of us are only there in spirit.

Victoria (painter), Me, Maureen (sculptor), Shari (painter), Elle (poet), Cheryl (painter), Lillian (painter, photographer) – Dale (photographer) took this picture

For more on this challenge, go here.

For more on when this picture was taken, go here

For more of what we’re up to next follow us on Twitter – Shari, Tori, Cheryl, Elle, Lillian, Dale and me – Maureen – are you on Twitter?

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