Dream Leaper: Lady Magpie

Dream Leaper: Lady Magpie from Corin Porter on Vimeo.

How does one live creatively? In todays world, it is so easy to get lost in the daily grind of work and responsibility, that we often forget what brings us JOY. In this, the first of a series of interviews, I ask what it means to be creative, and how important it is to take LEAPS OF FAITH for our creative dreams. I myself am taking a leap of faith for my own creative with this project. Each week, I plan to interview a new "Dream Leaper", and find out where they came from, and the struggles they endured to get to where they are today: living their lives creatively.

Throughout this process, I hope to build my own skills, and discover new and amazing paths along the way to supporting myself fully on my creative dreams!
Stay Tuned for more: dreamleapers.blogspot.com

Start Where You Stand!

I have discovered a wonderful new cafe in Winooski, Vermont. I would usually go downtown Burlington to spend the day at one of my normal haunts, but decided I didn't have the energy or desire to walk the 30 minutes into town. I spied this place last night while walking to meet my Aunt Carol for dinner. It is only a 5 minute walk from my current residence! Bonus!

The Block Gallery & Coffee House is just that- an artists gallery with a coffee shop. I walked in and was struck by the hybrid Gallery/Cafe. The space is large and open, not overcrowded with chairs and couches, although it has the space to utilize. I love the openness of it. There are colorful and vibrant paintings on the walls, below them are open glass shelves lined with pottery, portraits, handmade soaps, jewelry, and handprinted cards- all by Vermont artisans. I am shocked, stunned, and in complete awe and inspiration while I sit here.

The owners are friendly- a mother and son crew. From what I have gathered so far, the owner Loraleh is an artist herself. I love this place. There are so many beautiful things to look at and inspire me. So far, I have calculated that I could spend at least several hundred dollars in just earrings and pendents.
I have collected the names and business cards of all of the artists, and hope to interview them as well as Loraleh.

I am getting used to the idea of spending time on my projects everyday. That's not the hard part though. I can show up- on the page, in the editing room, with a camera- but the beginning is difficult. I decided to put together a pre-production package to email to all of the artists and Dream Leapers I have been in contact with recently, but I am having difficulty articulating exactly what I want to do.

I started writing lists, but every time I attempt to type out an explanation or articulate my intentions, my brain goes numb. I think a lot of this has to do with my fear of how I appear to established artists. I want to be professional and show that I have what it takes, which I do, but at the same time, it is really difficult to portray myself as established when I am just beginning. I guess the best thing I can do is speak my truth, and hope that they appreciate my enthusiasm and drive enough to give me a chance to represent them. In the end, I just want to share their stories, and gain experience while doing so. This could be a great networking experience for everyone involved.

It is exciting but scary to begin. You are still wobbly on your feet, but you have drive, determination, and inspiration. I am radically motivated to achieve, and help others to find the drive they need to move forward with their dreams. I have big ideas in the works, but I am happy and excited to start here, now, with smaller steps toward bigger goals. I am trying to be patient with myself, knowing that I am in the beginning, and not allowing myself to bite off more than I can chew.


 All of that said, I do have to remember that I am not completely new to this. I spent one year at a technical school for video and film editing, and the first two years of college in film production. I have plenty of experience to start where I stand. I just have to build the confidence and grounding I need to establish the integrity and eventually mastery that I hope to achieve. We all must start somewhere. Today I start from here. One step. One step at a time. I will make this happen.

Learning Lessons and Making Time

What a fantastic day! I went to bed last night at 2am, and reluctantly dragged myself out of bed at 7am to go to the local Farmers Market to interview artists and introduce myself to new artists for potential future artist interviews. I am becoming aware of one major theme that seems to be across the board for every creative dreamer I have met so far: Make time for your craft. All too often we put aside what we want to do for what we feel we need to do. Our dreams are cast to the wayside, while we work and toil away at jobs we hate so that one day we may be able to afford time off to do what we want to do. I am learning that this is backwards. 

One day, while waitressing at a food chain that I desperately hated- I had a very enlightening conversation with two carnival workers that happened to stop in for a late dinner. They were happy. Truly ecstatic about life. It was infectious. I spent more time at their table than any other during my shift, and while the tips reflected it at the end of the night, I was grateful for my interaction with these two eccentric men. After they had their fill of fried food and bad jokes, one of the men looked at me seriously. “Do you enjoy what you do?” I didn’t have to think about it. “No.” I responded immediately. “But I am saving money to travel. I want to make documentaries, and see the world.” He smiled at me, I saw for the first time a wisdom etched in the lines of his face- and his eyes. “Tell me Corin- do work to live? Or do you live to work?” 

Not everyone enjoys their “day job”, so why then allow it to take over and exhaust you? Sure- life can be difficult, and we all have obligations, but there is ALWAYS time for what you love to do. Making time to paint early mornings before your kids awake, or at night after they have gone to bed. Drawing concepts and ideas in a notebook you bring everywhere with you- storing ideas and inspiration that you can refer back to later. Busting out a hoola hoop or work on a dance routine while you wait for the bus. Yeah- sometimes you might feel a little weird about doing this in public, but you are utilizing spare time to do the things you love- WHO CARES what people think about you- if they think negatively, that is their own insecurities at play, not yours; and if they think positively, you have inadvertently inspired another person. 

Making time is, for me, the hardest part about living my dream- but in order to live it, I absolutely MUST make time. 

Next to making time, I have learned that we each have to allow ourselves to create without personal judgement. In the first Dream Leaper Interview (which I have yet to post) I have been judging myself way too harshly. I must remember: I am new to this. I do not have to be perfect. I do not have to produce high quality videos right now. All I have to do is move. Movement creates experience, experience creates learning, learning expands growth, and eventually, I will be able to produce the quality films that I aspire to. I can apply this to my writing as well. The more I write, the better I will get. One step at a time in the same direction, no matter how small, I will make it to my goal. This excites me. I am on my way :-D

 Last weekend I went to the Farmers Market with no plan, and a hope to get some interviews. Several unexpected things happened when I arrived: I got shy and insecure, and it was way busier than I expected. I was uncomfortable about approaching new people (even though this is what I normally do best) and I was embarrassed about sharing my ideas with them about my film project and blog. I mean, who was I to call myself an artist among such amazing and established people- “TRUE ARTISTS”! (I am learning to embrace my artist-self. It is at times uncomfortable, but it is also a learning process.)  


I spoke with a few acquaintances and set up some loose interviews for the following Saturday. I had all week to plan and prepare, and I didn’t put any time into it. In the end, I made it to the market late, and missed the prime interview time while they were setting up and before the customers arrived. 
BUT I learned a very valuable lesson: allow time for preparation and pre-production. Have my questions planned and ready (and written down, in case I forget them) Be on time. Be EARLY, in fact. Know my interviewee, as well as my audience. Conduct research about them and their products before I arrive. Be sure to state clearly what I need- loud and clear voice, complete sentences (starting the answer with the question, etc). Having a clear vision on what I am looking for will help the interviewee to feel more comfortable, and will allow me to cut together a more cohesive video in the end. 

With all of that said- I ended up having some REALLY amazing interviews, with some insanely talented and wonderful artists. I also networked and plan to spend the week organizing my interviews and project so that I can begin interviewing these artists and posting videos each week. I walked around to each booth, introducing myself to people, asking questions, collecting business cards, and gaining inspiration and motivation from each interaction. It was deeply affirming to me to be able to state clearly my intentions with with this film project. The interactions enabled me to articulate my personal goals and desires for my vision and my art. I am beyond inspired and looking forward to sharing the results with all of you wonderful people! 

Coming Soon!

Dream Leaper interviews! I will be interviewing and highlighting Dream Leapers of all varieties: Artists, musicians, business owners, performance artists, tattoo artists, entrepreneurs, authors, dancers, travelers, life coaches, and many other inspiring people. I will share their stories, their fears and desires, how they cope with their inner critics and demons, and what keeps them driven. It is my hope to get to the root of the art of dream leaping, and find out the secrets to success by conducting interviews with as many inspiring (and aspiring) people as possible. It is my hope that you, my readers, will find inspiration to take leaps of your own toward your own dreams, and that my blog will help you to find ideas and resources that you might need to move forward.

If YOU are a Dream Leaper, send me a short email with your story, and I can interview you and feature you and your work here on my blog! Writetocreate@hotmail.com  :-D Stay tuned for my first interview: Visual artist and painter Jamee Varda of Minneapolis, Minnesota~ I adore her art work, and I deeply look forward to sharing it with you all! :-D                    
Love and Gratitude to you all! 

Fun News- an Inspiration Update

Revamping my blog! Movement toward my dreams and desires. 

HOORAY! After my recent tours of Sweden's amazing art museums, I have found much inspiration and the motivation to make some changes. I have revamped my blog and work habits so that I may easily move in the direction of my hearts desire: finding and spreading inspiration, motivation, and the incredible stories of those magical people who have taken leaps of faith, and the paths they followed.

My art museum tours came after I started reading Julia Cameron's The Artists Way. Cameron offers two tools for aspiring artists that she claims are essential to the process of discovering your inner artist: the Morning Pages, and the Artists Date. I am two weeks into her book, and have already felt a great change in my desire and strength as an artist. Before reading this, I was even apprehensive to call myself an artist- I didn't feel I deserved the title. I still feel a little uncomfortable claiming my desired title, but I am working through this discomfort. I have discovered many ideas and inspiration that I didn't even know existed in the back of my mind, while writing the Morning Pages (3 pages of free writing EVERY morning). I found fairies and jewels of hope and my childhood dreams hiding in the paintings and sculptures of each high-ceilinged room of the cool and brightly lit art museums, while on my artists dates (creative dates with yourself that encourage play and elate your inner artist child.) 

I was happy to spend the weekend in Stockholm, visiting my friend Helen, and my boyfriends friend and his family, but I am super happy to be home again, working on my blog, and putting all of this inspiration to work. I took so many photos this weekend, as well as video, and I am looking forward to editing it all and sharing it with you. 

I have been dreaming of my Artists Cottage a lot lately. I have this image in my mind of the perfect little cottage (about the size of guest house- maybe a little bigger) with large windows, an open arched ceiling with skylights, and a loft. The ground floor would be an artists heaven! Art supplies everywhere, and of every variety. I would have a vintage desk where I would do all of my writing- in front of a window that looked out over a garden. One wall would be a built-in floor to ceiling bookshelf, with a rolling ladder. The loft would contain a king sized mattress on the floor, and skylights above the bed. There would be a hundred pillows of all shapes, sizes and colors, and the blankets would be fuzzy and warm. And I would not have to go far for my afternoon Fika (Swedish for "coffee date"), as I would have a stone patio in the front, with a cafe style table and chairs. I am inspired by even just the thought of this place. This would be my "office" and my haven. 

I have decided to start making handmade business cards to hand out with my blog address on them. I have a habit of changing phone numbers, web address's, emails, and everything else, so this will be a cheaper and easier way to keep up with my changes. I will not have to worry about spending so much on business cards that will be void once they even are made- like the many I have piling up on my desk. Plus making them is more fun! Hand cut, hand colored, and hand printed. I think I will even get some linoleum blocks when I get home, and make some stamps (ooohhh- fun fun fun!) I have been wanting to get into block printing for some time now. 

I have many plans in the works for this blog, and will begin to apply these ideas very soon. Here is a sneak peak of what you can look forward to: 

~Weekly Artists interviews! Each week I will highlight a new artist, sharing their stories and their art. 

~Suggestions and Resources for inspiration and motivation. Books, videos, quotes, links, etc.

~Dream Leaper interviews! I will interview people who have taken leaps of faith, and share their stories of uncertainty, hope, and accomplishment. 

~Inspirational Song of the Week!

~My own story! My path of self discovery, becoming whole and secure in my Self, and as an artist. I will share my hopes, dreams, and inspirations, as well as my fears, difficult lessons, and stumbles along the way. 

My boyfriend is a wonderful photographer! Thank you, Jens!

Brightly colored supplies for my new business cards. 

Loving what I do~ Pure happiness shines through.

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