I wrote a song called “Not Every Dream is Jaded” and wanted to answer the big question: WHAT IS MY DREAM?
My dream is to inspire others to MAKE their dreams come true. My mom tells me every time I leave for L.A., “you’re not human unless you have a dream,” and it makes me feel grateful and validated to have a mom that understands, supports and values my sacrifices, ambitions and condition. I say condition, because I literally can’t operate without pursuing music.
Some of my immediate answers to this question are:
1. I would work on music full-time. Point blank. That is my end goal. Songwriting 50%, Marketing Operations 25% and Artistry 25%, while making more than enough money to live comfortably and be able to give back to my Oakland community.
2. I would be a world-renowned songwriter for a range of artists and production companies (including Disney movies one day). I would like to write at least one animated feature Disney song and collaborate with some of the most brilliant songwriters in this lifetime.
3. I would own my own production studio in the Bay Area with space for collaboration, practice, performance and networking. I would create safe spaces that perpetuate the changes I would like to see in my generation.
4. I would master my voice. I am thankful that God did not make me perfect in this way because I AM LIVING PROOF that you do not need to be the most talented or qualified person in order to go after your dreams. You have to be unrelenting in your curiosity and desire to nurture and hone your gift and craft.
5. I enjoy most - unconventional people that DO WHAT THEY LOVE; they pursue their heart’s desires and ideal visions, they converse about ideas and heart wrenching dreams. They plan and execute these ideas with care, strategy, focus, intellect, tact and good intention. I want to be and know more people that have experienced the depths of being human, that don’t let “life” get in the way of being truly, genuinely happy and that know the sacrifice and rewards of sticking faithfully to a plan.
These are my end goals as they relate to music and my dreams, but family, faith and friends are an equal part of this equation. None of this would be worth it without them in the end.
I say that I want to inspire others to “MAKE” their dreams come true, because waiting, wishing and hoping DO NOT COUNT. What counts is planning, timing, action and execution. Regardless of the outcome, continuously pivoting and doing what sets your soul on fire gives you the most freedom of expression and makes you a more humbled, generous, empathetic, compassionate and awe-inspired human being.
My dream is to operate in this manner while always remembering who I am and what matters most. In the end, if there’s one thing to take away from this blog, it’s to DO WHAT YOU LOVE.
Remember, not every dream is jaded. If you’re alive, you still have time.
💚🙏🏼
Jade