The Path Less Traveled

I have three TRUE passions in my life: Travel, writing, and film production. Well, I guess you could even say there are five, as passion and creativity are, in and of themselves, passions of mine. I greatly enjoy exploring the creative realm, and learning where people find motivation to push forward and achieve their goals in life, even if the path is a scary one.

Last September, I was having a conversation with a close friend. We were discussing our own dissatisfactions with our lives. “Why on earth am I working so hard to do something I am not even interested in?” she asked me. For weeks, I could not get this question out of my head. I see people do this all of the time. It was oddly commonplace. I had reached that point myself, and the monotony was killing me. I could feel something creative and alive, deep inside of me, just waiting to escape. I was going crazy. If I wanted sanity, I had to do what seemed insane.

All I have ever wanted to do is travel, write, and maybe someday, have my own travel show. “Pipe dreams”, I always told myself. People don’t offer people like me book deals or TV spots. In that moment, I was correct. “People like me” were people who didn’t do anything about their dreams aside from suppressing them. The only way I could achieve my goals, was taking the path less traveled- the scary one. The path with absolutely no guarantee or safety net. So I quit school- and purchased a one way ticket to Hawaii.

In the months leading up to my departure, I scoured the internet for TV shows or documentaries about people who had taken leaps of faith like I was doing- hoping to find comfort in the idea that someone had succeeded before me. I found nothing. I wanted something that would give me inspiration, motivation, ideas- something that would give me hope and a push out of the door, into the unknown. I was groping in the darkness, and I needed even just a little bit of light, just a little bit of hope.

It became apparent that it was time to step out on to the edge of the unknown, spread my wings, and dive head first into my dreams.

From that ledge, I came up with an idea to combine ALL of my dreams and passions into ONE large creative project.

I can create a project that helps bring light, love, and motivation to people who are groping in the darkness for even just a flicker of hope. I can create a project that can help to wake people out of the monotony of their daily lives, and give them encouragement to explore their creative dreams.

This project will take me around the world, meeting and interviewing different people, from different cultures and backgrounds, all with the same achievement: they took a chance on themselves, and on their dreams. They took the path less traveled, braving self doubt, outside criticism, and an uncertain outcome. I want to share their stories to help inspire others to achieve their own dreams. I will do this through digital media and web-based episodes that will air bi-weekly, each showcasing a specific creative dreamer who took the leap and are currently living in the light of their own creative goals. Along the way, I will film and document my own journey, my own step into the unknown- showing my own hardships, as I write my book, travel the world, and find myself.

The project that I am sharing stands on it’s own, but it is my hope to come out of this in the end, with a book about my adventures, as well as the footage I need to produce a feature length documentary about my personal leap of faith, painted with encouragement from the many different inspiring people I meet around the world.

How you can help:

First of all, stay tuned to my blog, as I will be posting my project to Kickstarter.com in a few weeks to start raising money. It is my hope to have the project fully funded by the end of the summer, so that I may begin my journey in September/October, after I return from hiking the Long Trail.

Next: Have you, or anyone you know, taken a leap of faith and achieved a creative goal or dream? If so, please email me at writetocreate@hotmail.com and tell me about your story. If possible, please attach a photo of yourself in your creative element. If chosen, I will feature you in my show, and use your photo for the promotional spot for the Kickstarter site. Please be sure that you have the ability to permit my use of the photo you provide.

Lastly: if you have a moment, and would like to support me and my project/creative dream further, please post this to your social networking site or blog, and help me get the word out! Thank you! :-D

Thank you ALL so much for the wonderful support you have all shown me now, and in the past. I would not be where I am today if it were not for my friends, family, mentors, and magical acquaintances! You are all so wonderful :-D