No one tells stories about people striving to maintain the status quo. Those characters usually play a supporting role, the antagonist to the rebel, the heretic, the change agent. No one tells stories about people trying to keep things ‘exactly as they are.’ The heroes of our stories, the heroes of our history, are those who stood up against the majority and risked looking foolish for the sake of what they believed in.

No one tells a story about the handful of African Americans who did their duty by sitting in the colored section of that bus on December 1st, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. The stories are about Rosa Parks, the woman who dared to do only a handful of others had done at that point, sit where she pleased, break the rules, challenge the status quo. Did she look foolish at the time? You better believe it; she was mocked, arrested, and thrown into prison. Her willingness to look foolish momentarily though, ensured her heroism as she became an important symbol of the modern Civil Rights Movement.

No one tells a story about the millions of people who continually rode in a horse and buggy because ‘that’s just the way it was.’ The stories are about Henry Ford and his Model T.

No one tells a story about the millions of people who resisted the idea of a home computer. The stories are about Steve Jobs and his constant pursuit to put the world’s most innovative technology in the hands of everyday, ordinary people.

No one tells a story about the Pharisees who were obsessed with maintaining the first century status quo. The stories are about a young carpenter turned teacher named Jesus, who challenged everyone with his counter-cultural way of teaching things like, love your enemies and serve the poor. These ideas may seem obvious to us now, but they sounded absolutely foolish in Jesus’ day. And you can’t tell me that the man who claimed to be the Son of God did not look foolish to the first century population when they hung Him on a cross and He died. But you also can’t tell me that He did not prove Himself to be the greatest hero three days later when He rose again, providing redemption for all.

No one tells a story about the crowd. The stories are about those who believe in their cause so strongly that they are willing to stand apart from the crowd and risk looking foolish for a moment or two while the change they’ve been praying for is ushered in. So go ahead, look foolish. Maybe one day you’ll be considered a hero for it.

By no means do I consider myself an expert on making dreams come true. I still have a long list of aspirations in life that I've only begun to make headway on. I have had those moments though, like we all have, those moments when something we've wanted, a goal we've been working toward, is finally realized. It doesn't matter how "small" or "silly" it is to the outside world, we did it. The fact that we got an A in that class, ran that 5k, or finally made our sales quota for the month is like a dream come true to us. We remember how being an 'A student' used to feel impossible, but now it's a reality. I've been blessed enough to have a few of those moments thus far in my short life, and while I'm a huge supporter of going after one's dreams, the journey often looks very different then many of us imagine.

What no one tells you about achieving your dreams is that it's hard.

What no one tells you about achieving your dreams is that it takes 99.9% work for .1% celebration.

What no one tells you about achieving your dreams is that it looks very little like the montage in Rocky. In the film, Sylvester Stallone plays Rocky Balboa, a boxer who never reached his full potential, who now has a chance to win the heavy-weight crown against Apollo Creed. In one of the most iconic sequences in all of film, the "Rocky Theme Song" blasts loudly and we watch a musical montage in which Balboa works out, runs, and drinks raw eggs, until he's finally able to climb the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with ease. It's all very glamorous and inspiring, and it happens in just under three minutes.

What no one tells you about achieving your dreams is that growth doesn't happen in a three minute musical montage with inspiring music blaring in the background. It doesn't happen with thousands of people cheering you on because you "went the distance." Growth is the result of early mornings, late nights, daily repetition, and consistent execution that is most times so boring that no one would dare film it. Growth happens slowly. Growth has a repulsive odor, a mixture of the blood, sweat, tears, and skipped showers of individuals who show up and refuse to give up everyday because God has called them to something greater than their current circumstance. Growth can bring us to a Hollywood ending, but it certainly takes longer than ninety minutes.

What no one tells you about achieving your dreams is that it does not look pretty. Most days, you come home looking like Rocky Balboa at the end of sixteen rounds. But if the dream is worth it, if we really believe in God's promises for our lives, then hopping right back into the ring is not an option, or even an obligation, it's what we hunger for.

While I love celebrating creativity and being an artist here on the blog, there is no shortage of negative connotations that go along with that word, “artist.” The general public often views artists as lazy, stubborn, or stupid, because otherwise, why wouldn’t they just get a “real job” to support themselves? When most people think of the word “artist” in modern western culture, we see young people with trendy glasses and a sickening amount of plaid, hanging out in a coffee shop that could never be Starbucks for fear of being too mainstream. We hear their endless, pretentious musings on how our society is so backwards, how politics is a lie, and how they’re blocked right now, but one day they’ll finish writing that book on gender roles or that satire on conservative journalism. It’s obvious that these people never actually get out there and do anything, but rather, get high off of their own intellect and hilariously witty remarks. This is the portrait for most folks, of the modern day artist.

The trendy, indie coffee drinking, egotist is not an artist at all though, in my opinion. This type of person is what I like to call, a bum, which is distinctly different.

The artist and the bum exist in close proximity to the outside eye, but with careful investigation, it’s easy to see that the two live vastly different lives. While their clothes and their tendency towards “cage free” or “grass fed” place the two together, there is a long list of characteristics that set them apart. Just to give you an idea, here are a few…

The bum seeks to tear down, the artist seeks to build up. The bum sees a show, reads a book, or hears a talk and spends hours picking it apart with negative critiques to make himself feel better. The artist carefully considers the piece, the good and the bad, and then let’s what she has learned inform her future work. She doesn’t waste her time tearing others down, she’s too busy building something better.

The bum talks, the artist does. The bum spends her time getting in heated debates about art, politics, and society, taking everything personally and never truly listening. The artist discusses with an open mind, but is constantly aware that discussion only exists as a means of learning and collecting inspiration. The artist spends the majority of his time creating his own work, which goes a lot further in adding to the conversation then any words ever could.

The bum stands against, the artist stands for. The bum’s only beliefs lie in what he believes in wrong or not good in the world. The bum sees so many problems, but never seeks to find any solutions. The artist allows her heart to be broken by wrongs or injustice, and then uses that heartbreak as inspiration to make a piece, start a cause, and spread the word to right that wrong. The artist is constantly asking, how can I make the world a better place with the gifts I’ve been given?

In every artist there is a bum, but in every bum, there hides an inspired artist. It takes a certain amount of ego to be an artist, and it does take a critical eye. But never let your ego and critical mind become your identity, because then you’re not an artist at all, you’re a bum. Bums don’t change the world, bums tell everyone how it needs to change, and then do nothing about it. Don’t be a bum. Be an artist. Artists change the world.