My dreams are starting to come true and I’m pinching myself to be sure I’m awake.

The thing is, my dreams aren’t just magically coming true, I’m working my bootie off to make them happen. But because all the work is paying off, which seems like magic, it’s easy to think this is all happening to me, or for me, and not because of me. And because some people have been asking me what I’ve been doing to get where I am now, I thought I’d share.

Social Media

Social media is the biggest time suck ever. If you’re writing or doing any sort of creating really, you can’t afford to waste time on social media. Read that again. You can’t afford to waste time on social media. You have to have social media though. Have to. So, pick your least dreaded poison and get cracking. I started with Facebook because I already had a personal account and knew how it worked and was already on there twice a day (or more) anyway. Pick a social media that compliments your work if you can (ie: visual artists = Instagram, writers = Threads, etc.)

You are going to create a business profile, even if you have a personal profile, and you are going to make your business profile legit with a recognizable picture of you and all your pertinent contact details. And then you are going to make a note in your calendar or whatever you use to keep track of your daily tasks: social media twice a day (minimum).

And then you’re going to engage: post and comment, follow and like. Whatever the tools of the social you picked, you’re going to use them. Find and follow every creator that you already know and love. Then start seeing who engages with them and follow them, too. You’re going to make a minimum of two posts a day: once in the morning when you get up, and once at night before you go to bed. I suggest you also put up a post in the middle of the day, when you break for lunch or to stretch or what have you. Bathroom breaks are an excellent way to multi-task.

Genuinely engage. Don’t be grudging or depressing or negative. Be you at your best…and at your worst: as long as it’s real.

Website

Create a free website using any of the many free tolls out there. I used WordPress because at the time it had the most integrations, the least glitches, the best conversion to multiple devices (phone, tablet, etc). Use the same profile picture from social on your website (consistency is key, especially when you’re just getting started). Your website should reflect your art as best as possible. And try to blog a minimum of once a month, though once a week when you’re getting started is best. This is going to be a crazy long blog today…most of mine are shorter, as are most peoples free slots of time. Make sure there is a way to contact you and eventually you may want to have a newsletter signup, but that can wait in the beginning.

Resources

Google resources for people in your craft. I live in Montana and I’m a writer so when I was trying to find resources I did tons of different searches using different terms, ie: writing retreats in Montana, writing workshops near me, grants for writers, etc. Then start looking into those resources. Are there any that interest you? Even if it’s something you can’t afford right now, track all the possibilities…especially the ones that seem impossible. Use a spreadsheet or a list or something to track all these things, and try to add to the list as you hear of new opportunities.

Dream

Create wild bucket lists and vision boards. Add every single possible thing that brings you joy. Create reward lists and goal lists. Create a wins list! One person I’ve met literally celebrates EVERY win and reminds themselves to celebrate those tiny and big wins every year. Take a free calendar and mark down every milestone in your journey on the day you do it so that you can celebrate it every year (ie: three years ago today I went on my first Writing Retreat, etc.).

Do

Now comes the hard part: do. You need to do something with this website, this social media, these lists of resources and dreams. No one is going to come knock on your door and ask if they can make all your dreams come true. It’s up to you. So pick one of your resources, even if it’s one you think you’re not ready for or can’t afford, and make contact. Find out how much it is, find out if they have a sliding scale or give a scholarship or have a payment plan. Keep track of everything you learn about each opportunity. Make note of any other programs or opportunities that are mentioned and follow up on those as well. Find something to aim for and determine the path to achieving it.

Craft

And don’t forget your actual craft. If you’re a writer you need to log hours writing. You can’t edit a blank page. You can’t publish a sentence that hasn’t been written yet. Get to crafting and do it every day. Every artists does this part differently but every successful artist gets the same result: tangible product. Yes, dreaming and reading and walking and scrolling are all part of your craft, but they’re all the behind the scenes bits that no one can pay you for. You also must create something tangible to work with and eventually sell.

Whatever your practice is, make it happen every day. Sick, raining, grumpy, doesn’t matter; show up for yourself and your craft every day. I get up every morning between 4:30am and 5am and I write a minimum of 1,000 words while the household sleeps. It’s the only time I can create completely undisturbed, and even then I sometimes get interrupted by a kid that wet the bed or a dog that needs to be let out to chase a deer. Create your time, create your space, and create your minimum acceptable goal for each day and then DO IT!

Irons in the Fire

And now, the last thing, and it may feel overwhelming but it’s huge: you’ve got to have a lot of irons in the fire. For example, as a writer I need to publish and because I’ve never been published I’m a risk and an asset. I wrote a bunch of short stories before changing trajectory to write my memoir on miscarriage. In the meantime those stories need a home, so I started sending them out for publication. When one was rejected I’d send it somewhere else. When a publisher asked me to send them something else to look at, I did. Always keep things out in the world no matter what your medium.

Always be researching the opportunities available to you and apply for them. At one point I had an application in to a Grant Program, a Writing Workshop, a Foundation Prize, and a few other things all at the same time…it was a lot to juggle and a lot to have constant high hopes for. It’s also a lot of things that can all say yes to you and your craft at the same time and be a huge windfall that gets your creative ball rolling.

There’s some barfingly true quote from a hockey pro that’s something like: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Take the shot. Always.

Breathe

You’ve got this. You can do it. The only people unsuccessful at this are the people waiting for it to happen to them. If you’re making it happen, it will happen. The Universe gets behind you, or god, or something. Whatever you want to call it, it’s powerful. And keep in mind, if you’re pushing really hard for something and it’s not working, you may be pushing for the wrong thing. Back off a bit, start pushing for something else. Sometimes a door is closed because it’s the wrong door. Do your best, and then be willing to do your best again, somewhere else.

Remember to breathe, cause it’s gonna be an amazing roller coaster and you don’t want to miss the ride.