Listen to this episode of the Healthy Wealthy Wise Artist Podcast:
“How to Create the Dream You Thought You Missed” on:
You ever feel like your dream didn’t happen the way you thought it would?
Maybe you did everything right — you trained, you tried, you showed up — and still, the big moment never came.
But what if you didn’t miss your dream at all?
What if you were meant to make it — in your own way, on your own timeline?
This post is about that moment — the one between disappointment and discovery — when artists stop waiting to be chosen and start creating their own version of the dream.
Sometimes it just means the story is still unfolding… on a different timeline, in a different way.
When Dreams Don’t Arrive on Schedule
A Broadway artist I watched recently spent decades chasing one goal: to perform on Broadway.
At 57, she finally did—but not the way she expected. She produced her own show and said, “I think I just made my own dream come true.”
That line hit me hard because I’ve lived it too.
Years ago in London, after endless auditions, a West End actress told me, “Stop waiting to be chosen. Create your own show.”
So I did. I produced a professional full musical at Riverside Studios with an orchestra, conductor, and set design etc. I made my own dream come true. Sometimes you don’t arrive at the dream you imagined; you arrive at the one you created.
The Pain of Ambition
Artists feel disappointment more deeply because our dreams are tied to identity.
When something doesn’t happen, it can feel like we didn’t happen.
Neuroscience shows that the brain experiences a lost dream like grief—it triggers the same centers as bereavement.
But grief isn’t proof of failure. It’s proof that you cared enough to try.
The Coaching Lens: Dead, Dormant, or Evolving
Not every unfulfilled dream is a dead one.
Some are dormant—waiting for better timing or capacity.
Others are evolving—shifting into something new and truer.
We get stuck when we mislabel a dormant or evolving dream as dead.
Instead of growing, we grieve forever.
Truth line: You’re not behind—you’re in process. And process has its own timing.
A New Definition of Success
Dreams aren’t just goals to achieve; they’re conversations between who you are and who you’re becoming.
Sometimes the conversation changes.
I never planned to be a creativity coach or author, but these paths grew directly out of my original artistic fire.
Your dream might transform too—into teaching, mentoring, collaborating, or simply creating for joy again.
That shift isn’t losing the dream; it’s living it differently.
Truth line: Sometimes the most audacious thing you can do is begin again.
Creative Spark
Write down three dreams you’ve put away.
Next to each, ask: Is this dead, dormant, or evolving?
Notice which ones still tug at you—they might not be gone, just waiting.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Feeling stuck in a creative rut? Grab my free guide Stuck in a Creative RUT — 3 simple steps to reignite your passion and momentum.
And if you’re ready to go deeper…
🎉 My low-cost course Reignite Your Creativity in 7 Days is available anytime—just $37 and packed with support for artists like you.
This message is part of the Audacious Artistry series leading to my upcoming book, Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World—coming February 2026.
Listen to this episode of the Healthy Wealthy Wise Artist Podcast:
“How to Create the Dream You Thought You Missed” on:
Build a life of love, purpose, adventure & boundless creativity!