My Vision Board

February 9, 2012

I recently spent the afternoon with three friends, women whom I've had connection with over the years but little contact lately. We collected ourselves over the idea of creating individual vision boards, a personal piece of art about ourselves and our dreams about the future. It was inspiring to say the least.
I'm sitting in my office now (my bed) without my glasses and I can see the vague outlines of my work. I didn't get very far on the specifics but was able to completely cover the canvas with color, most of which came from magazine pictures I tore out. I am grateful to have gotten this far as I didn't really think I'd get there at all.
Our conversation was deep and rich and funny. Each word seemed poignant both at the time and now as I reflect back. Looking across my room at the sky, the river, the mountains and the trees I am considering my dreams. I know I want to write. I’ve wanted to Blog for a few years now, but never took the first step. I have more material than I know what to do with, most of which floats around between my head and my heart occasionally making its way to the surface in conversation. 
The thing about writing is permanency. Writing documents history before history is. It makes feelings and desires and ideas concrete and provides opportunity for fine tuning not only our thoughts but often our direction, our actions. Art can do the same for the artist, music for the musician, etc. I want to write a couple books, one about my dad and one about dating at 50. I want to Blog, to document the daily folly of being human.  I want to write about running and be published in Runners World.
Writing needs to be on my vision board and as I thought of this tonight, I decided to look at blogspot and see what it would take. Now I am here, writing my first post. I have a friend who is a writer. I have been reading his book over the last couple weeks. Maybe that’s part of what brings this to the surface. The truth is until I do it, it won’t get done. It’s not going to write itself. My dreams for myself aren’t going to just happen. I have to take the steps, do the next thing. Write them down, make them concrete. So here I am a first time blogger. Who knows where it will lead? I can tell you I wouldn’t have made it here today without those friends and their inspiration. My future has many things in it, writing being one. Thanks girls.Made Madeline