Coming soon: Follow Your Dreams Interview Series

Well, I asked around on Facebook and not only were people interested in the idea of a series of interviews with people who had followed their dreams, but I've even already got one interview lined up and some other people in mind! So here's how this is going to work:

• I'm going to interview people who have accomplished their goals, people who are in the process, and maybe people who are just about to set out.
• I will not just be interviewing dancers; I think it will be more interesting to see all sorts of dreams and different ways of achieving them.
• I'll ask some generic questions, and some questions about their specific dream, so every one will be different!
• Interviews will ideally be posted once or twice a month.

Not quite sure what to expect? Here's a mini-interview with... me!

It was easy for me to sit down for an interview with Sophia Ravenna, because, you know, she's my alter ego so we live in the same head. Here's what she had to say about herself:

Me: Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your dream.

Sophia Ravenna: Hi! My name is Sophia Ravenna and my dream is to be a professional belly dancer.

Me: When did you decide to follow your dream? What pushed you to do it?

SR: I guess it was last year? I had already been bellydancing for a while and I was admittedly frustrated with how much I was spending on classes, workshops, costuming and more, while not getting any paid gigs, but for various reasons I felt like I was probably going to always be an amateur. Then my brother invited me to be part of a fire performance troupe he was forming. I went to a couple of the meetings and realized that all of the other potential members were really passionate about fire, whereas my passion was definitely belly dance. I decided that I'd rather put my focus on my dance than on something that might have made me more money in the end, but was not what I loved.

Me: How far along on your goal would you say you are?

SR: I have a three year plan and I'm about 8 or 9 months into it. I've hit some of my goals easily, and struggled with others, but I have constant forward momentum so I'd call that a win. I've even been paid to dance, but I'm not ready to call myself a true pro yet, at least, not without tongue firmly in cheek.

Me: What was the hardest part of following your dream?

SR: Definitely taking the first step. When I sent that e-mail to my teacher Jolie saying "I wanna do this, what do I need to do?" (oversimplifying, obviously), my stomach filled with butterflies and they still haven't fully gone away.

Me: What has been the biggest help in achieving your goals?

SR: My great support system. My husband, my family, my teacher, my troupemates and my dance community all encourage and inspire me. Plus since they all know what I'm trying to do, I feel like I can't slack off too much or someone will call me on it!

Me: Any parting words of advice for those who are hesitating to follow their dreams?

SR: Make a plan. Don't just say you're going to do it. Break it down into sizable chunks, set goals, get someone to help you. When you have a real plan and someone holding you accountable, you'll feel inspired to keep working even when doubt starts to creep in.

Thank you, me, for helping me illustrate to my readers the format that I'll be using!