-Wayne White, set designer for Pee Wee’s Playhouse and painter.

I went to a lecture by Wayne at Watkins College of Art & Design in 2009 and left feeling so inspired.  He has wit in his art, he’s positive, and is so passionate about what he does.

I cannot agree with this statement more.  I hope that by rising above the rejection and unsupportive responses from the people around me, that I can one day be an inspiration to others to follow their dreams with everything they have.

It doesn’t matter if you live in the country and all of your friends are married with children, go out there and freakin’ follow your dreams!  It doesn’t matter if you are from the hood and you’re afraid to go to school and better yourself because you’re afraid your family will think you are better than them. They will eventually understand.  I can relate to the first of these situations.  I feel a lot of pressure at 25 to just settle down and start a family and stay in Tennessee the rest of my life.  But I know that I would be absolutely miserable if I did.  That is not the life for me.  My mom can attest to the second of these situations, she still struggles with it to this day.

People are scared to take major risks to get to where they want to be and they convince themselves that it is impossible to make themselves feel better about not going after it.  How many people do you know that look back on their lives and wished that they would’ve just followed their dreams?  How many of them at least wonder what it would have been like?  Just go out there and do what you have to do.  You only have one life.  Don’t waste it trying to please others because eventually you will look back and wish that you would have taken more risks.

No one who is successful has never taken a risk.  No matter how much rejection you receive, no matter how many jobs you do not get hired for, no matter how many people do not believe in you, never give up.  People will eventually notice your hard work and it will pay off.

I may not ever become a well known artist but I’m going to at least die trying because it is what I love.