“Are you sure you want to do that for the rest of your life?”
“Maybe you should major in something a little more practical.”
“Okay, but like, what are you going to do for a real job?”
“That won’t bring in a lot of money when you start out.”
Anyone that plans on a career in arts have heard these questions and statements. For someone that is majoring in creative writing, I have had a lot of people question my choices. I want to be a writer, primarily one for comedy shows and eventually movies. I also want to have a published book before I’m thirty. These are dreams of mine.
I have been writing for as long as I can imagine. I have thousands of keepsakes that have my childlike scrawl on them that describe magical worlds and innocent love stories. I’ve always had a creative mind and that continued to grow as I got older. It wasn’t long until I discovered that the one thing I want to do for the rest of my life is to write.
I also love singing. I got my love for music from my father who has been singing since I was born. He plays guitar fantastically and sings in my church. He caused me to love music and singing. I always had this fantasy that I would get discovered and become the next big star. I dreamed of being best friends with Taylor Swift and having my songs on the Top 100 charts. It is still something that I often smile and wonder about.
Yet, as I got older, I discovered that dreaming of these kinds of things were often shot down. When I was a child I was told that I can do whatever I want, especially if I work hard and put my all into it. When I revealed that I was still dreaming of being a big star as a senior in high school, I was ridiculed. My friends all had practical jobs in mind; doctor, teacher, architect. I was the one to the side with a little bit of a radical plan.
A lot of people don’t understand that if I want to do something big and bold, then I will work as hard as I can until that dream comes true. If I want to be a singer, then I will work my hardest to get discovered and become the star that I’ve dreamed of being. If I want to be a best selling author, then I will write a thousand books until that one is published. If I want to be an actor, then I will take classes and go on a thousand auditions. If I want to be a famous guitar player, then I will practice for hours until my fingers bleed so I can be the best.
There is a difference between shooting down a dream, and preparing someone for reality. Yes, it may not work for me. Yes, I may fall and fail after all my hard work. But that is my choice. So support me during the process. Help me find opportunities to learn and become better at this dream. Help me with the stepping stones. Show me the way to achieve my dream practically, instead of telling me that it will never happen.
As children we were always told that we can do whatever we want. If we work hard and believe in ourselves, then we can reach our dreams. Yet, as soon as we really have to buckle down and start thinking about our future, we get laughed at. We’re told, “No, you can’t do that.” If something is your dream, then no one, no one should be able to tell you that you can't do it.
So stop telling us that our dreams are useless and will never happen. Stop telling us to have a more "practical" career. Stop telling us to line up a back-up plan when our dreams ultimately fail. Instead, be there for us if we crash and burn, and be there for us when we achieve the life we’re meant to have. Stop telling us what we can or can't do and start telling us that we can be anything we want if we put our mind to it. Start telling us that hard work will reap good rewards. Stop telling us to take the easy way out and start telling us that we can achieve anything that we work hard at. Stop tearing us down and start lifting us up, like you taught us in elementary school.
