No Limits, Only Possibilities

Just me as a kid!

I had an art teacher when I was a junior in high school who inspired and influenced me greatly. I wish I could remember her name. She was an incredible teacher. She was tough! She planted the dream in my heart to become an artist.

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Since that time, I have had many careers including order taker, typist, wife, mother, secretary, assistant bookkeeper, receptionist, executive secretary, public relations manager, crisis management and marketing director. All of these careers put food on the table, but none of them fulfilled my dream of becoming an artist.

I read an article about 15 years ago written by Harvey McKay. That article impacted my life so much that I clipped it out of our local newspaper and laminated it. I still have that article, Don't Say No To Yourself.  Since then, I quit the self-talk that limited all my future potential and fabulous possibilities.

I have learned that it takes extremely hard work to bring a dream into reality. My life has taken many twists and turns along the way, but I truly believe that it is never too late to venture out into new territory and reach for a dream that might have become lost but not forgotten. Like Harvey said, Don't Say No To Yourself.
 
Here are some steps that I take daily to help make my dreams become reality:

Listen to that inner voice
I have never given up on my dream. When something stirs within me to move in a different direction, I listen to that inner voice. I continue to look around me for confirmations and inspiration. In other words, I pray and ask for direction.

Continuous learning
I take classes to enhance my natural abilities. I like anything that is free. On line learning is available to everyone and most of it is free. I search the internet and especially You Tube for "how to" videos. I also go to the library and read, read, read. I never intend to stop learning, EVER!

Passion
I rekindled the passion I once had for my dream to become an artist. I find that the passion is still within me. I remember what inspired me and who influenced me. Most importantly, I surround myself with people who sincerely encourage my passion.

Just begin
I can't realize my dream if I just stand still. I have to start somewhere. So what if I don't know everything that I need to know. No one knows everything. I will learn as I go. Succeed, fail, succeed, fail...that's the learning process. I have to begin, and just get moving.

Keep moving forward
I have to keep moving forward. I find it is harder to begin again once I have lost momentum. Criticism from others and from within is extremely powerful. I believe it is good and healthy to listen to criticism as long as I don't let it stifle me and destroy my dream. I must keep moving forward with learning. However, if I stop, I pick myself up and start going forward again. When a goal is reached, I already have a new goal I  am trying to achieve. To keep moving forward is the first and most important goal.

No Limits
There are absolutely no limits to my future possibilities. Goals are meant to be broken, and life is meant to be lived fully. So it is very important that I do not place limits on myself.  

I'm a work in progress, just like my paintings

"Pansies" finished 10"x12" oil painting

Here I am, working hard, painting and doing what I always wanted to do. I have
come full circle, and I am realizing a dream that started when I was 16 years
old. It might have taken me a while to get here, but the journey has been extraordinary. With prayer, learning, passion, listening, beginning and moving forward, I am fulfilling my dream with absolutely no limits in sight...only possibilities.

Donna Ham, Artist
"Painting is an outward expression
of an inward emotion."