…..the IS a Santa Clause

Oh, how I remember those days! The anticipation, the exhilaration. Did he get my list? What will he bring? My stocking was hung, and I was snug in bed. I was NOT asleep!!!

Forget the rest of the year! Forgot the bunny! Forget what I got for my birthday or how much candy I got at Halloween! THIS was it! This was excitement. I could really SEE what the next day would be like!!

This was creative visualization at its best.

The crazy thing is children get it! They aren’t afraid to dream big. It never occurs to them to worry about whether, or not, it COULD be! Isn’t that what creative thinking is all about? Remember, with creativity, we step ahead of what “IS” and begin working with what “COULD BE.”

What “IS.”

Let’s take inventory. No doubt we are all feeling a bit lost.

Maybe you feel a yearning you can’t identify. You know there is something out there that will excite and fulfill you, but you don’t know what it is. Maybe you know what it is but have no idea how to start. It could be that you placed a part of you on hold for a larger purpose. It’s time to reignite that spark and acknowledge it so you can reimagine what could be.

Maybe you lost a career you loved to down-sizing or outsourcing. Maybe COVID-19 showed up and shut you down. It could be that you had it right, but circumstances and economics called the shots and all the quick thinking in the world wasn’t going to help. You have valuable skills and knowledge that can be reframed through imagination.

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere. _{Carl Sagan}

Maybe you changed course only to find you are now working at something that is draining and demoralizing. It looked great at the time, you did all the research – or so you thought. Now, you wake up and don’t recognize who you are and what you are doing. You might be asking “Where did that spark go and how do I get it back?”

If any of these feels even the slightest bit true, you are in the right place! All it takes is a little imagination. Because here’s the deal. If I can do it, you can do it.

What “COULD BE.”

Having what you desire isn’t just about talent. It’s about thinking. It’s about imagination. All children know this! It never occurs to them to worry about whether it might be too hard, take too long, cost too much, or that they might be too old or too young. They dream. They imagine. They ask Santa Clause.

The career I loved shrank due to outsourcing and down-sizing and I had to let it go. I tried something different and found myself in a very deep, dark hole. I felt a deep yearning because I had abandoned my true self and didn’t know how to dig out. I felt helpless but I leapt out anyway, only to be sidelined by COVID-19. Been there! Done that! Have a T-shirt for every day of the week!

“Everything that is real was imagined first.” _{The Velveteen Rabbit}

Ask Santa

So, what did I do? I rolled up my sleeves and asked, “What COULD be?” I dreamt big. I imagined and visualized and then GOT TO WORK making it happen. It took effort but it was exciting. 2020 was hard but, here at the end of it, I am well on my way to what I would describe as a very satisfying life aligned with what I desire most. I cannot believe what a difference the year made.

In one year, I have gone from depressed, fearful, and hopeless to flourishing, joyful, and happy. Yes, there is still work to be done. There are still plans to be made and tasks to perform.

Today I have:

A fully functioning art and design studio at home.
A website for my art and my blog.
A Patreon membership
A blog on which I am posting regularly and gaining a small following of loyal supporters.
An active social media presence
A surface pattern design schedule to expand my products in my online stores
A plan to launch an online course and membership in 2021

None of this existed in January 2020.

I am HAPPY. This year, my letter to Santa includes things like resilience, strength, and fortitude. Courage, energy, and resources. All the things I will need to make all that I have planned happen in 2021. I have big plans, so I need big strength.

What do you want? What big things will you imagine that could become real this next year? Leave a comment below and tell me what it is that you are looking for. There is a good possibility that Santa and I can help you make it happen. (Ya know, cuz Virginia and Santa are tight!!)

Photo by Rhaúl V. Alva on Unsplash