When Dead Dreams Come to Life

a.k.a., Plot Twists Happen in Different Shapes and Forms

Once upon a time, I wanted to be an artist.

I was around four at the time. I liked drawing. I enjoyed all the coloring sessions we did in school. I liked looking at pretty things and copying them.

One day, my school was giving flyers away for art lessons. I remember excitedly asking my dad if he could allow me to take up art lessons for the summer . . . and he said “No.”

The drawing and coloring took a back seat, and gave way to homework and extracurricular activities. I didn’t pursue art any longer, but it took years before I discovered a new love: writing. I eventually wrote and wrote and wrote until I ended up doing it for a living.

Fast forward to a few months ago, when I actually had to do art for work . . . only, it didn’t have to do with illustrations. Instead, it was graphic design-related. The task was daunting at first, because I knew nothing about fonts and typography and whatnot. Thankfully, I had teammates who were patiently guiding me through the ropes, and helping me how to figure out what worked best and what was aesthetically pleasing. I embraced the learning curve, decided to put in my 10,000 hours, and eventually made it a hobby. Best of all, I had fun. I had so much fun, I decided to make an Instagram account from it. #shamelessplug

The dead dream I once had — of being an artist, of designing things — came to life many, many years later. I never imagined that graphic design would ever be part of what I’m doing right now. I didn’t think that art would be something I’d still pursue, ever.

It still blows my mind how this dead dream was brought back to life, only by God’s amazing mercy and grace. Three things are for sure:

1. This resurrected dream is far more than about my enjoyment or my skill, but about advancing God’s kingdom. I didn’t pursue it out of a sense of duty, either.
2. I didn’t achieve the dream alone. I had a team of people who taught me how to do things, celebrated my wins, encouraged me to grow and cultivate the skill, and were patient enough to bear with my constant pangungulit. I’m very, very glad that God allowed our paths to cross.
3. There are still dead things in my life that God will bring back to life. There will also be new things that He will enable me to uncover and discover. All I have to do is be expectant and seek Him — and of course, continue laying all things at His feet, because He knows best, and He knows everything.

It’s only fitting that I end this post with why I wrote it in the first place. I read this quote on one of my Facebook friends’s posts, and it struck me so hard that I made art out of it, and wrote this blog.