Big Dreams, Daily Joys, and Making Things
5:00 am. Alarm beeping. There’s no chance I’m hitting snooze. It was the fall of 2020, and I had enrolled five women in my first online course, selling them on 21 days of tried and true, life-changing content—content that had to go out by 7:00 am. That meant I had two whole hours to turn my chicken-scratch notes into something beautiful, meaningful, and professionally formatted. How did I know I could do something like that?
Because of a beautiful little book I had just read called Big Dreams Daily Joys by Elise Blaha Cripe.
To be honest, I really didn’t have the time or the energy to be writing and delivering an online course in the fall of 2020. I was flirting with burnout—working full-time online, homeschooling my two kids, and I had just finished my MPA and self-published my first book four months earlier (and was still trying to figure out how to get that book into people’s hands). We had also just come off the road and moved out of our Airstream and into our first house in seven years (which meant we were sleeping in one of the kid’s bedrooms while my husband finished the basement). But I did it anyway. Something inside of me told me I had to. Besides, Big Dreams Daily Joys by Elise Blaha Cripe had taught me how.
The result was something I’ll never forget.
It was a life-changing season where I stepped into a whole new part of my calling and experienced so much joy working with those women. In fact, I loved the experience so much that when that 21-day online program was finished, I enrolled another handful of ladies in a whole new program for women writers — this one promising 30 days of life-changing content that I had to write and deliver every morning before 7:00 am, too.
Looking back now, I just shake my head and wonder, “What was I thinking?” Remembering those 51 days of waking up early and frantically writing, editing, and formatting material to meet the tight daily deadline gives me chills and a bone-tired feeling all at the same time. (It’s certainly not something I’ve done since.)
But I remember feeling so alive while I was doing it.
So passionate about my life, so excited to be on this planet at this time with the humans in my world. A feeling I never would have had if I hadn’t stepped out and started making something. An undertaking I never would have known was possible if I hadn’t read Elise’s book. I’m so thankful for the way it redefined what I thought I had the time and energy for. I’m so glad Elise reached through those pages and told me I could do everything I feel called to do in this life.
(As I write this, the two programs I made are being turned into books—publication date TBA in 2023. Stay tuned on the book page and in the email group if you’re interested.)
A little more about Big Dreams Daily Joys by Elise Blaha Cripe:
In the book, Elise shares wisdom gained from decades of setting goals and making things. Since the early 2000s, she’s made (and sold) everything from pottery to paper and plant stands to purses. And now, she makes and sells the beautiful Get to Work Book planner and shares inspiration on her podcast Elise Gets Crafty. (She also does a lot of podcast interviews like this one about the importance of having hobbies as an adult.)
About her book, Elise says,
“This book is a guide to creating room in your days, dreaming bigger, and making progress toward your goals.”
It has details about why we set goals (and how to), making room in our lives for joy (and getting rid of comparison), dreaming bigger than we ever thought we could, and getting stuff done (imperfections and all).
My favorite part is when she talks about how “To get the work done, you gotta do the work.” And then she goes on to share exactly how it’s possible to make the things we’ve always wanted to make and share them with the people who could really use them.
Yes, it really is that good.
A few quotes from the book:
"Whenever you try something new, you will be starting from scratch, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it! That means you should do it right away and get started learning, practicing, and improving. There is no 'ready,' remember? There is just beginning." —Elise Blaha Cripe
“You have exactly enough time for the things that matter to you.” —Elise Blaha Cripe
“This is how you get more comfortable creating work and sharing work. This is how you get more comfortable with things not going as planned or not being your ‘best’ work. You keep creating. You keep making. You don’t stop because it’s hard. . . Your art might not get better. But you will get better at making art.” —Elise Blaha Cripe
"The only thing you can control is that you keep showing up." —Elise Blaha Cripe
"Your best work will be something that you do, not something that happens to you. It will not fall from the sky. Lightning won't strike. The light bulb will not click on. Instead, you must go to the work. You need to chase the lightning down. You need to flip the lights on and off until they stay lit." —Elise Blaha Cripe
"Lying awake and thinking, 'This is hard,' is better than lying awake and thinking, 'I wonder if I should have tried.'" —Elise Blaha Cripe
And of course, this one . . .
Some of us make words turn into inspiration, blogs, and books. Some of us make beautiful pottery, kickass cookies, gourmet meals for our families, or watercolor art pieces that inspire greatness. Some of us make money, make people’s day, or make computers do things that blow people’s minds. And some of us have been wanting to make beautiful things for years but haven’t found a way just yet. Whatever you make (or want to make), I hope Big Dreams Daily Joys by Elise Blaha Cripe helps you make more of it and share more of it with the world.
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