The Dream Life

It just hit me. I’m living my dream life.

Do I mean everything is perfect? Nope.

That I have all I want? Nay.

Then how? Well, it has to do with cooking.

When people ask me what I “do,” I say, “I’m an Artist.” And then they ask which medium, and I say, to their everlasting confusion, writing, speaking, singing, photography, acting. And to their confusion, I say this:

I want my life to be like a stove. I’m cooking a meal.

This big pot, here, the entrée, that’s The Oat Project, writing, and speaking.

The slightly smaller pot of rice, that’s the music: singing, writing, enjoying it.

And the veggies on that burner, they’re the photography, drawing, and painting.

And the sauce—so yummy!—is the acting.

And the oven, the HEAT, is my children, family, community and friends, with movement, yoga, and dancing thrown in, too. They sustain everything on the burners, simmering or searing or frying.

So often, I’ve been told, “You just need to focus, Jene’. Then you’ll ‘succeed.’” But to me, that’s a crockpot, not dinner. And many folks are indeed crockpot-oriented. But not me.

You see, each dish on that stove energizes the other dishes. And they complement each other in flavor and sustenance. I’m crafting a feast, not just a meal.

In the last few weeks, I’ve done more than any others since my mother died last year. And I have been ABLE to be this busy. That dream life? I gigged singing jazz at Commonwheel Arts Festival Labor Day weekend, drove race cars for CASA last weekend, I’m photographing with an eye to a gallery show in the spring, had a part in a video shoot and a role in a play this week. And the writing? WELL, it is finally flowing again, my lovelies. You’re going to see Installment Four soon!

For a second, it all rolled through me and stress threatened to take over. But then, I realized that this is what I want my life to look like. Add in actually making enough money at it to survive, travel, and a couple other things, and dangorama, there’s my dream life. It’s not at the end of a tunnel. It’s now. And I’m going with it.

And I would ask you: When does your dream distract you from how close you are to it? How can seeing how close you are shape your next steps? Let’s do it! Love and hugs, Jene’