“Dreams take up a lot of space?”
“All you’ll give them.” 
– From Blue Highways, by William Least Heat Moon

I was trying to remember this quote as I prepared to write this post, and then remembered I had already used it in a blog post–six years ago. SIX YEARS AGO! What the heck! That’s how long it’s been since I spent my first year in Alaska, and truly realized how much I was capable of. I read through that post again, and was not only impressed by the clarity of my reflections at that time (which I had all but forgotten about), but was also surprised to see that I’m coming back around to a similar place of self-realization and self-discovery. Once again, six years later, this quote is profoundly relevant, if not in a slightly different way than it was last time.

You see, for the last couple years since I finished grad school, I’ve been focusing on starting my career. It’s been a little tough in Eugene, but I’ve been determined to make it work. Moreover, I’ve been happy to take part time work, with this vague idea that I’d start freelancing on the side.

Problem was, I never really started.

Instead, I filled that space in my life with anything and everything else. Friends, projects, relationships, other part-time jobs, volunteer work. There’s nothing wrong with any of this, but it took someone reminding me to prioritize myself to make me realize that I haven’t been using the space I made for my dreams to actually make them come true.

It’s time to make a change. It’s time to make space for dreams, again.

Because if there was anything I learned from that first year in Alaska, it was that I can do anything to which I set my mind. I know that in the deepest part of my being. And it’s true for anyone else who has dreams (which is hopefully all of you).

Next year, I’ll be turning 30 years old. I owe it to myself to give my dreams a fair shot before I enter my third decade of life, and so today, I’m re-launching Trail Mixed Media and opening up my freelancing services. It is long past time to make this happen.

I am a photographer, a filmmaker, and a writer. And I am so excited to share this part of myself with the rest of the world. Let’s make something together.