As I spend the last few hours I have here in California, on my little patio that overlooks Burbank, I’ve reflected at how far I’ve come.

Not in just the past six and half years as a struggling artist, but this summer too.

You see, six and half years ago, I never would imagined that I would be traveling the way I do. I never thought I would have my voice heard, nor did I think that anyone would care about my work, let alone create with me. I have been through heartbreak in many various forms and I have been climbing up the mountain of life for a long, long, time. I finally found a sense of peace by being able to really see the opportunities that we can create for ourselves.

Before all of this, before my career, before my opportunity to write for elephant, before I really indulged with social media, I was a shy girl. I was the bookworm, the one who created in secret, the girl who people forgot about. I hadn’t even figured out what I was going to do with my life; I had no direction. I wasn’t unhappy with that situation, but I wasn’t entirely delighted either. I was in an odd plateau; I was comfortable.

However, I also had dreams. Big ones. They were the kind that knock on your door and present themselves loud enough to not be ignored. They would come calling in the evening when the buzz of the day had settled down, they would sneak into my dreams, and they’d play out in my head while my mind wandered. Eventually, they would get me to listen.

When I graduated high school, I was hoping for something that would point me in the right direction. I had a general sense of what I wanted to do: connect with and help people, but I had no real means of getting there. So I took a step off of the ledge into an adventure. I was just shy of 18 years old when I launched into my photo career. I had a small point-and-shoot camera, a big dream, and a single social media platform. I started photographing landscapes. Those were easy, I didn’t have to talk to anyone and I could go explore for some beautiful places. But, deep down, I also knew that I wanted to explore the beauty of people.

Over that next year and half, I would watch other artists grow and develop on their own social media platforms. I’d see where they would get to travel and who they got to work with and I’d hear in the back of my mind, a little voice that said “Hey! I wanna do that!” So, I took a breath, and began transitioning from landscapes to people. That was the first step.

In turn, I learned to let go of my fear and realized that creating art (of any medium) with various people was, in fact, healing. Having these various opportunities to work and connect with other artists also helped me grow as an individual. I was able to relate to others on a deeper level, I could talk to people without feeling the need to retreat, and I found a new way to be expressive. Art causes us artists to reach into our souls and pull out something extraordinary. That fueled my dreams.

This summer, I have really realized just how powerful dreams are. I have gotten to work in LA twice, I have gotten to meet a few potential clientele, and I will soon be traveling to shoot with a well-known actress. But more than that, I have had the chance to learn how to harness my voice—to really listen to myself and write from the soul.

This platform has been healing for me, in many ways, as well. For when I write, I have had relived a few painful moments, so that I could tell a story in the way that should be felt. But I have come out of each moment, happy and stronger. I realize writing can be a way to help people. If I can help one reader understand that art is healing, I have reached my goal. If I can help one reader understand that it’s okay to miss those you have lost, then I have also reached my goal.

More than that, I have learned that if you take risks and you firmly stand behind everything that you believe in, in the words that you write, you can have the chance to connect with thousands of people. You don’t even need to leave your bed; you just have to write something from your heart. You have to be honest with yourself and your readers.

If you believe in yourself and what you have to offer the world, the world will listen. The world will open up to you and give you opportunities you may never have thought possible. You just have to ask it. It all starts with a dream, and if you find a way to harness that dream’s power, you will soar.

Author: Josefina Hunter

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Image: Courtesy of Author