Walking in my pajamas from the squeamish cool firm outside to the porch, the estrus unexpectedly smacks my face. The buzz of the overworked air conditioner compressor drowns out the sounds of birds, yet the bugs' buzzing is drowning out the compressor. In the altitude, the rap of a hammer — someone is upwards early, working on their dream home.

Building a dream home has never been loftier on my bucket list, nevertheless every abode, every building you pass, was at one fourth dimension or another someone's dream.

I oft await at old, crumbling buildings, often about the signal of existence condemned or razed, and retrieve that edifice was someone'south dream at ane point. Someone spent their life coming upwardly with the money, working diligently over the plans, working with the builders (or building it themselves) over months or years, spending countless amounts of fourth dimension working on their dream. If walls could talk, they'd reveal what took place within those buildings and the consequence of those dreams.

Sometime Vs. New

Though headaches tin abound with onetime buildings, if given a personal option of a brand-spanking-new abode or building versus something old with graphic symbol and dandy pattern, I'd cull the former. Mayhap I'm an old soul, mentally living in another era. I similar old paintings, sometime buildings, sometime houses, quondam boats, and quondam books.

Pinch Me

Though I sometimes fantasize well-nigh living in historical times and hanging out in the cafes with painters like Monet or Van Gogh, thinking how magical it would exist, in some ways I feel as though I'm living that life today, and that people will look dorsum on these times, wishing they could have been a office of the fine art motility today. Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I realize a peachy artist is staying in our world famous artist'south cabin .

Artists Discovered

I experience extremely blessed to spend fourth dimension with the greatest painters of our mean solar day, some of whom will come up to my event in the Adirondacks next week, and some of whom will exist discovered there once I see them pigment and end up doing manufactures on them. I can think of several unknown painters, now famous, whose careers were given nascency by attention that event and others.

2 Special Movements

Though it'south fun looking at other times as romantic and a place we would dearest to be, we need to realize that the time we are living in is one of those special times in history. If you're reading this and are not an artist, at that place are two movements going on at the present moment that volition go downwardly in history as ii of the almost important in the history of art. I feel fortunate to be able to play a minor role in each of those movements.

Cocktail Party Stories

A footling piece of fine art history for your next cocktail political party … today'southward plein air painting movement ("plein air" is a French term for "outdoors," as I explain on my podcast ) is the largest motility of any kind in the history of art. At that place are more people going exterior to paint, more than events, more shows, and more participants than at any time in history. Art historian Jean Stern of the Irvine Museum says this is the largest movement in the history of art. Of course, I also call it "the new golf," because people love the challenge, the social aspects, and the lifestyle.

A Youth Movement

The other movement is what I telephone call the mod realism movement, which is led past droves of young people who are moving away from their parents' and grandparents' modernist roots and, like generations before them, shedding the one-time for the new. The new, in their optics, means realistic painting practices perfected by the Sometime Masters 400 years earlier them, whose techniques were almost lost after the mod move was launched in the early on 1900s.

These artists are painting works at levels of quality that friction match some of the great masters of the by, though their subjects reverberate modernistic sensibilities. Our little role in this was to start a magazine focused on this motility about xv years ago, when we saw some early on signs, and today nosotros try to fuel that movement with a training event and convention and the mag.

Treasures

In both cases, those who take the gift of owning paintings from these eras may end up with the high-auction pieces that fund futurity generations of your family, just every bit if you had endemic a Monet or a Raphael. But what'south most important isn't the coin, it's the pleasure of having these works on your walls, enriching your life.

One never knows how history will treat one'due south own times, but I believe historians will look back on these moments as rare and special, and wait upon the artists every bit office of a special time in history, peculiarly when there are two major movements happening simultaneously.

Living in Special Times

Each of us is living in a special time, when special things are going on. I recollect my grandmother talking about inventions created in her lifetime that she could barely believe; they seemed to her beyond science fiction. I've since realized that you and I will be telling our grandkids well-nigh things we've seen that once seemed impossible. The rate of innovation in our lives today is greater than the rate of innovation at any time in history, impacting everything around us, including our wellness.

I Can't Believe I'm Here

During the dot-com boom of the 1990s, I was an outsider looking in. I heard stories near "idea people" who ended upward changing the world and sometimes making billions. Some stories became legendary. I day I woke up and told myself, "I don't want to exist an outsider, I want to be an insider. I want to exist one of those people trying to modify the world through engineering."

And so I went to Silicon Valley with an idea, raised a agglomeration of money, started a company, hired employees, and changed the world of Internet audio forever. The people I was encountering in my daily life were all with the young startups that had not yet changed the world. For example, I met ii immature guys at a party who had merely started a company called Google. I met the swain who started Napster, which changed the music world forever. I met with the founders of startups called PayPal and Ebay, and hundreds of other tech giants.

Insert Yourself Hither

Though I was belatedly to the party, once I realized there was a major movement going on, I fabricated a determination to notice a way to insert myself and then I could be part of the dialogue. Rather than telling my grandkids nigh seeing things happen in my life, I'll be able to tell them that I was able to play a minor function in those things.

The gift of life may be brief, simply why not wait at that souvenir and endeavor to exist part of something bigger, something that will change the world, something that volition allow yous to influence the outcome?

Insecurities and Hangups

Though y'all may not experience deserving , you accept things inside of yous that can make a major difference in the world. Your perspective, your lifetime of wisdom, is of great value, and information technology's something others need to hear. In fact, most of the people I've met in the world of alter are no unlike than nosotros are. They accept their insecurities and hangups, they lack confidence in many areas, they have doubts and negative thoughts as well. The only departure is that they motion forrad anyway considering their dreams are bigger than their doubts.

No Regrets

You have something inside y'all right this minute. You may not even know what information technology is. You may be questioning what to do with your life, or y'all may have an idea that you've lacked the confidence to pursue. Practise yous want to get to your deathbed with regrets because yous did not try? I'm non sure who said information technology, but it's better to try and fail than never to try at all.

There are so many things on my bucket list that I'll need a couple of lifetimes to get them done. Some are old, some are new, only I'yard very focused on making them happen.

An Old Bucket List Detail

I can only call up of one thing on my old bucket list that I've not done yet, a dream I've had since I was a teen, which is to play a role as an player in a major motion flick. I'm not certain why the dream is in that location or what drives information technology, but I fully intend to cheque that off my listing. Knowing the itch that has to be scratched is half the battle, considering y'all'll tell your brain almost your need and your hidden heed will make information technology happen.

Building a Museum

Though this is of import to me, in that location are new saucepan list items that hold more importance. For example, Isabella Stewart Gardner inspired me to create a modern-day museum, but as she did, to reflect the ii major art movements and the swell artists of our time. I desire to create a museum of plein air and i of modern realism. I merely need a major donor to create an endowment. This needs to be washed so these two movements are given proper recognition in a major city, and then they live on for generations. It's besides of import to let the moment pass.

There are many other saucepan list items, like teaching a million people to paint. It's a small goal, and 1 I hope to blow by one day, but it's important considering painting changes souls and opens optics. It remakes us then we take the optics of an artist, and that is life-changing.

Giving Ideas Attention

I suspect you too have a bucket listing. Some are but fun things you want to get done, which may involve travel . Others may be almost creating memories for your family, while others may be ideas that will alter the earth. They are all important, and if you give them enough fourth dimension and attention, you'll overcome all the obstacles in the way, including money. I certainly don't have the money to start an important museum, merely someone out there who has the ability may share the vision to make it happen.

What are your large dreams?
 What is on your bucket list?
 What practise yous feel y'all need to accomplish in your lifetime?

Perfect Timing

Some people outset fast, others start slowly. Most of the proficient things I've done in my life happened afterward 50. Don't tell yourself at that place isn't fourth dimension, or that's it's besides late, or you're also young or besides old or too poor or that your circumstances prevent it. Passion overcomes everything. It only starts with conventionalities.

Mind Blocking

The world has been blessed with amazing things that would non exist had some adult female or man immune their dreams to be prevented past their negative mindset. We have incredible buildings, institutions, museums, even cities that happened because of the single dream of 1 person. Most of those people started with no money and no special advantages, merely their passion drove their minds to discover a way.

Make Your List

Yous've been blessed with a great mind, great ideas, and great passion. You have what it takes. I promise that today, you'll find some quiet time to make a list, and decide which items are at the tiptop of the list, and so you'll remind yourself every twenty-four hour period. Before long, what seems out of attain will first getting into your subconscious heed, which then will find a way to drive information technology home.

I have confidence in you, no matter what things are going on in your life that may be preventing you from living that dream. Virtually, if not all, of these things volition pass and you'll find God'due south perfect timing. Have confidence, and don't allow get of those dreams.