Dreams Aren't Dumb
a brand-new series for imagining what's possible
Of all the aspects I love about my life, one of my favorites is gathering people into Very-Official, State-Registered, Dreams Aren’t Dumb Clubs.
It started with a friend and me looking at each other and saying, “Dreams aren’t dumb, right?” We were losing confidence in our ideas and needed to be around kindred weirdos who’d help restore our hope. Thus, the club was born, the only requirement was to be a curious person who was open to discovering what was next. In our first meeting, we discovered that of the six people present, one of them wanted to be a butcher, another a baker, and right as I thought we were rounding the corner to our resident candlestick maker, one of them announced he wanted to open a gas station tiki bar in the desert.
You ordered kindred weirdos? You got ‘em.
Here’s what I love most about these groups: I have no idea where the wild winds of imagination are going to swirl. We begin with a prompt and a check-in, but I can never predict the outcome or where the process will take someone. In a recent club meeting, every person shared a creative work with the group, surprising themselves and the rest of us with the bravery and artistry on display. It turns out there is something quite powerful about a group of people contending for each other’s dreams.
This Series:
In the weeks to come, I’ll be interviewing a few friends who are part of the unofficial club, whether or not they make the meetings. Together, we’ll explore how their dreams came to life and what they did when they wanted to quit. I’m excited for you to hear their stories. (If you followed along with last year’s series, these are all new people.)
For those of you thinking, “Jackie, that’s cute and all, but I have a serious life here,” I want you to know that all of these people hold jobs, balance a myriad of responsibilities, and care deeply about the world. None of them are trust fund babies or floating vagrants. And yet, all of them dared to ask the simple question, “What’s possible? In the middle of my full and messy life, what’s possible?”
That’s the question that changes us.
Your Turn:
I hope these stories stir something in you and loosen your imagination. To that end, we’ll be making this as practical as possible.
A first step—Make some lists. Everybody can make a list. Without overthinking it, make a few using these prompts:
As a kid, I used to love __________
Lately, I've been curious about __________
If I didn’t have to be perfect, I’d try _________
Imaginary lives: If you weren’t living your current life, what would you love to do? (This can include living in a different time period, culture, or with different talents or abilities than you currently possess—a writer in Paris in the 20s, an astronaut, a ballerina, etc…) Write down 3-5 ideas.
As this unfolds, we’ll talk about what to do with the lists.
Dream on, my kindred weirdos!
What is a fun or unexpected thing on your list? I’d love to hear:
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