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“The Dream Is Still Alive. So Why Are You Avoiding It?” on:
The Dream Is Still Alive. So Why Are You Avoiding It?
What if the dream is not dead?
What if you are simply very good at staying busy enough not to touch it?
You answer messages.
You help everybody else.
You organise the files.
You update the website.
You research.
You plan.
You scroll.
You do everything surrounding the art.
But the art itself remains untouched.
Then you say:
“I just don’t have time.”
Sometimes that is completely true.
But sometimes busyness is how we avoid finding out how much the dream still matters.
Artists Really Are Busy
Artists do not create in empty rooms with endless time.
We have jobs, families, bills, school runs, health issues, caring responsibilities, and work that pays more reliably than our art.
Some people truly have only tiny pockets of time available.
This is not about pretending everybody has three spare hours hidden inside the day.
It is not about shaming tired parents, carers, working artists, or people living through difficult circumstances.
Limited time is real.
But even inside a busy life, it is worth noticing what happens when a small amount of time finally appears.
Do you touch the art?
Or do you find another useful thing to do?
Useful Work Can Be a Place to Hide
Avoidance rarely walks into the room and announces itself.
It often looks responsible.
You decide you need to research more before beginning.
You improve your website instead of writing the script.
You reorganise your equipment instead of recording the song.
You watch tutorials instead of making the first version.
You plan the project until the plan becomes more important than the project.
You tell yourself you will begin when life calms down.
When you have a better room.
When you have more confidence.
When you have enough money.
When your family needs less from you.
When you know exactly what you are doing.
But life rarely clears everything away and gives your creative dream a perfect entrance.
There will almost always be something more urgent, more useful, or easier to finish.
Why We Avoid What We Want
Avoiding a dream can feel confusing.
Why would we avoid something we care about?
Because wanting it makes us vulnerable.
If you do not begin, you do not have to find out whether your skills are rusty.
If you do not return, you do not have to face how much time has passed.
If you do not make the work, nobody can reject it.
If you keep the dream inside your imagination, it can remain perfect.
Avoidance protects you from disappointment.
But it also keeps you away from something you miss.
The Dream Appears in Stealth Mode
Sometimes we tell ourselves we no longer care. Then the dream appears in strange places.
There is one artist whose work produces a strong reaction every time you see it.
You watch a performer and imagine yourself inside the scene.
You see somebody publish the book you have been talking about writing.
You watch someone create the kind of project you keep postponing.
You feel irritated, jealous, sad, or strangely restless.
Not every emotional reaction is a message about your calling.
Social media can make us compare ourselves. Sometimes a trigger is simply a sign that you need to put the phone down.
But sometimes the intensity of your reaction contains information.
Sometimes jealousy is not saying:
“I want that person’s exact life.”
It is saying:
“There is something here I have not allowed myself to want.”
A Dream Can Change Without Dying
Performing is still part of my dream.
Other parts of my creative life have grown.
I write, speak, coach, teach, and create resources for artists.
I wrote Audacious Artistry.
These things are not replacements for performing. They are real parts of my creative identity.
The performing dream did not disappear because my life became creatively wider.
What Is the Reaction Telling You?
Instead of judging yourself for procrastinating, ask:
What might I be protecting myself from by staying busy?
Are you afraid of disappointment?
Are you afraid of being a beginner again?
Are you afraid that the work will not match the picture in your mind?
Are you afraid that somebody will see how much you want it?
Then ask:
What keeps tugging at me?
What work can you not stop watching?
Who triggers you?
What kind of project keeps returning to your thoughts?
What do you say you will do “one day”?
Do not treat every reaction as an instruction.
Treat it as information.
It may reveal that you miss writing, performing, painting, composing, directing, dancing, filming, making, or being in a creative room with other people.
Make One Imperfect Move
You do not need to create a five-year plan today.
You do not need to make a dramatic announcement.
You do not need to quit your job or turn your family’s life upside down.
Make one imperfect move.
Open the document.
Write one page.
Practise for twenty minutes.
Record a rough version.
Book the class.
Send the email.
Make the first ugly draft.
You do not need to know what the dream will become.
You only need to stop pretending you do not care
Go Deeper with Audacious Artistry
If this episode spoke to something in you, my book Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World goes deeper.
It’s written for artists and creatives who still feel called to create but are tired of proving, comparing, waiting for permission, or wondering if their work still matters.
You can also download the free 10-week Audacious Artistry Group Study Guide and walk through the book on your own, with a friend, or with a group of artists.
Read the book + get the free guide:
https://larabiancapilcher.com/book
This article is adapted from the Healthy Wealthy Wise Artist Podcast episode:
Listen to This Episode
“The Dream Is Still Alive. So Why Are You Avoiding It?” on:
Or visit the podcast page:
https://larabiancapilcher.com/podcast
With you as you keep creating,
— Lara Bianca Pilcher
Connect with Lara
Website:
https://larabiancapilcher.com
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https://instagram.com/larabiancapilcher
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