Asking for help in pursuit of a dream

October 4, 2010 By 25 Comments

I need help.  There, I said it.  It’s one of the hardest things for me to say.  I tend to do whatever I can to avoid saying it, and I usually suffer unnecessarily because of it.

My subconscious mind tells me that to ask for help is a sign of weakness.  It means I’m not capable of doing it on my own.  I’m not as independent and perfect as I’d like to be.  It’s really ridiculous and it’s driving me crazy!

I need to be reminded that no one is perfect and it’s ok to need and ask for help.  We were created for community and helping one another!  And you know what I’ve realized?  Most people are flattered when you ask them for help and they usually enjoy helping others.  I believe that asking for help is crucial when pursuing your dreams… most great things aren’t achieved without some help.

So, here’s what I currently need some help with:

accountability – Being my own boss is a lot harder than I thought it would be and I would love to have one or two accountability partners to check in with to go over daily and/or weekly goals and encourage each other.

interviews – I’m not experienced at interviewing people and I could use some help from people who are.  I’d also love some suggestions on what to ask people I interview for this website.  My lack of experience and fear has kept me from moving forward and interviewing more people.  I’ve talked to a ton of people who want to be interviewed and I need to start actually doing it!

photo shoots – Now that I’m using more lighting equipment it would really be helpful to have an assistant with me on every shoot, and I plan on doing mini-shoots with each interview.  If you or someone you know would like to learn more about photography and is good at following instructions please let me know.  I also need assistants during the interviews because I’m recording almost all of them with more than one camera.

BuddyPress – I need help from someone with BuddyPress experience.  I’d like to customize this site more and allow users to blog, post photos, etc.

spreading the word – I’d love help with spreading the word about this site and it’s mission.  I would love to hear from more people about their dreams, struggles, accomplishments, inspiration, etc. and share it with others here on the site.  I’m looking for people to interview who have inspiring stories to share about dreams achieved or experiences in pursuit of dreams.  Also, I’m looking for people who have a dream that they haven’t been pursuing and explore what’s holding them back and hopefully encourage them to go for it!

“keeping the lights on” – Ok, this is the toughest for me… but it’s just a fact that I don’t have a money tree.  I’ve already put a lot of my own money and time into this website and will continue to do so.  I’ve also had other generous people help me with it for free because they believed in the mission and they enjoy helping others.  However, I would like to make the website even better and be able to market it more so we can reach more people.  I’d also like to be able to pay those generous people that are helping me for their time and talent.  I’d also LOVE to be able to purchase an external microphone so I can get better audio when recording the interview videos.  So, if you are interested in ad space or know anyone who might be, please let me know.  Also, if you know anyone who might be interested in investing or donating please forward the site on to them.  And one last thing…  I am still trying to earn a living as a photographer (and it’s tough), so if you or anyone you know needs photos please contact me!

interaction – PLEASE post comments when you can.  Feedback really helps and lets me and the others who will be posting know that people are actually reading.  It’s not easy for me to write and share my thoughts, and it’s even harder when I think it’s pointless because no one is reading or cares.  Also, if you want to be extra awesome and helpful you could post links to the blog on your Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, etc.

Ok, there… I think that’s a good start.  That wasn’t too painful.  I know just like most things, it will get easier the more I do it, so I just need to keep making myself do it.  You know that saying, “No pain, no gain.”  Yeah, it’s usually true.  I’m going to start making myself so at least one “painful” thing everyday.

Am I alone, or does anyone else have trouble asking for help too?  If you have any great experiences or stories to share about asking for help I’d love to hear them!

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Featured Dreamer Interview (video): Tony Lucca

February 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Lucca for the first time in 2005 when he showed up at my house with Ernie Halter for a house concert I was hosting. I had never heard his music before and I was completely blown away the moment he sang the first note. That evening I was reminded of how crazy the music industry is… I mean, these guys should be famous and selling out stadiums, not playing in my living room and then sleeping on my sofas! Of course, for me and my friends we were so blessed to have them in my living room instead, and thousands of people have enjoyed the videos from that show on YouTube as well.

Since then I have kept up with Tony and his career and had a chance to get to know him better from going to so many of his shows. He is one of the most talented, humble and nicest guys I’ve ever met. I’m so excited that he’s now a contestant on The Voice and getting the recognition he deserves.

Here’s part of an interview I did with Tony the last time he had a show in Houston. I hope you are as inspired as I am. What’s YOUR dream?!? Have you taken a leap of faith? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

www.tonylucca.com
www.trishbadgerphotovideo.com

Here’s Tony performing one of my favorite songs that night at his show at Fitzgerald’s:

And here he is with Ernie Halter performing an amazing cover in my living room:

Filed Under: courage, dream, Dreamer, Interview Tagged With: , , , ,

Scary dreams

May 28, 2011 By 2 Comments

I had a really scary dream last night that I wrote some songs and I was going to sing them on stage in front of a ton of people for the first time. I’m not a song-writer, a singer, or the type of person who likes being in the spotlight. I was absolutely terrified, and it felt SO real! I think the extreme fear was enough to wake me up because from what I can remember, I never made it on stage.

I really don’t know how people do that. How do they have the courage to put their feelings on paper and then sing it for all the world to hear? I have a hard enough time writing a blog post that I know only a few will probably read. Fear of rejection, criticism and it “not being perfect” overcome me.

I have so many big (scary) dreams that I’ve been too afraid to REALLY pursue, and one of them is to be a tour photographer for a major world concert tour. I’ve taken some steps in the direction of this dream, but I definitely haven’t done as much as I could do. The only thing holding me back is my fear.

Maybe one of the reasons I want to document life on the road with musicians is because of my admiration… of not only their music, but of their amazing courage. My sleepy-time dream last night gave me a taste of what performers must go through. I really envy their bravery and strength to keep putting themselves out there, despite possible criticism and rejection. Where does that type of courage come from and where can I get some?!?!

Do you have any scary dreams you aren’t pursuing as much as you could, or am I the only one?

Or, are you pursuing a big dream and have any advice for the rest of us?! I’d love to hear from you!

Kings of Leon in concert

I was on stage with Kings of Leon as they performed in front of thousands of people. I was in awe as I captured their performance.

Filed Under: courage, dream Tagged With: , ,

Improvising (and lying?!) in pursuit of a dream

October 19, 2010 By 3 Comments

improvise – to make or fabricate out of what is conveniently on hand

Most people don’t have everything they need all of the time.  I know I don’t.  There are a ton of things I need and want that I believe would greatly help me in pursuing my dreams.  There have been times (many times) where I have used this as an excuse to not take certain actions that would force me out of my comfort zone.  For many years I used the excuse of not having an SLR camera to keep me from pursuing and learning more about photography.  I did however have the same digital “point & shoot” camera that I have today, and now that I REALLY know how to use it I’ve discovered that it can help me take some pretty amazing photos.  For all those years I dreamed of having an SLR, I could have improvised and created much better photos by teaching myself how to make better use of the camera I did have.  Heck, I think I’ve taken some pretty great photos with the 3 iPhones I’ve had and they only have 2-4 mega pixels.

I bet you wouldn’t guess that out of all the camera lenses I own now and have used since I started, only one is considered a “professional lens”.  Yeah, those professional lenses that I dream of owning cost thousands of dollars and the ones I use only cost hundreds.  Thank God I haven’t let that hold me back.

Currently I could really use a better computer, an external microphone for my camera, more lighting equipment, and those dreamy “professional” lenses, among many other things.  However, I was really inspired today to improvise more and make excuses less.

The inspiration came from a group of dreamers who have been forced to improvise.  Something really unfortunate happened to them, and something amazing and inspiring has come out of it… that does happen sometimes, you know.

UPDATE:  I’m sad and disappointed that a few hours after writing this post I found out that the band and the director of this video lied about the band’s instruments being stolen.  However, this band did improvise, but in a different way that I thought before.  My guess is that they probably didn’t have a huge budget for a music video, and didn’t have a huge YouTube following in comparison to bands like Ok Go, so they needed to come up with a way to make a creative video that would go viral with little money.  That they most certainly did.  I just wish they had done it without being dishonest.  Oh well, it’s still creative genius.

I also read this quote today:

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” -Joseph Campbell

I’m sure this band is going through a challenging time since having their instruments stolen, and I’m happy to see they’ve found the power to improvise in such a creative way.

Here are a couple of ways I’ve improvised recently (no lying involved):
Unfortunately (unlike before), I didn’t get a photo pass last time I saw John Mayer in concert, so I was forced to get photos from my seat with my point and shoot camera, like the one above.


I’m lacking an external mic, a shoulder rig for my camera, experience, and many other things that make videos better, but I decided to make do with what I had and shoot this video while I was with The Alternate Routes anyway. It’s not as great as it could have been, but I will still cherish it forever.

Have you ever had to improvise in pursuit of your dreams?  Do you have any great stories of others improvising in creative ways?  Do you need some suggestions on how to improvise with what you have or how to get what you need?

Do you think it was necessary for Atomic Tom to lie?  Have you ever felt like lying was your only option in order to get closer to your dreams?  If so, did you do it?

PLEASE share!  FYI – I’ll think you’re a lot cooler if you leave a comment, and that’s no lie!

Filed Under: dream Tagged With: , , ,

Xian Horn’s Dream

September 2, 2010 By 6 Comments

This is the first email I’ve received in response to this website and it made me cry good tears.  I hope you are as inspired and encouraged by Xian Horn as I am!

Dear Trish,

Thank you for your site! My name is Xian Horn and I was referred by Sharon’s sister to your site. All dreams are possible and we do work together to make them a reality. My dream is to build a world where everyone knows they are beautiful and where people with disabilities are represented in a beautiful light and in the beauty industry. With this in mind, I have made a short video aimed at the Dove Campaign asking them to expand their mission.

I would love to share my dream with you and the dreaming community in whatever way you see fit!

With gratitude and hope,

Xian Horn

“Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without

forgetting.” ~Elizabeth Bibesco

“It is never too late to be what you might have been” ~George Eliot

Filed Under: courage, dream, Dreamer

I Dare You To Dream

September 2, 2010 By 3 Comments

I started this website because I was desperate. I had quit my day job in April and was now a “full time photographer” like I had dreamed of being for so many years. But there was a problem… I wasn’t doing much photography. Truth is, most days I would wake up feeling so discouraged, scared, overwhelmed, unmotivated, and lost. I had so many dreams for the future, but had no idea where to begin. I was paralyzed by fear, just like I was for so many years before I finally decided to follow my dream to pursue photography. I was depressed, anxious, and felt isolated and alone most of the time.

I was desperate for inspiration, purpose, direction, challenges, more interaction with people, and more photo opportunities. So, this dream project was born.

When I talk to people about their hopes and dreams and encourage and challenge them I’m always encouraged and challenged in return. It also warms my heart when people tell me that they are inspired by my experience of achieving some of my dreams after waiting for so long to pursue them. I love the way people light up when talking about their dreams and exploring all the possibilities.

It makes me sad to think of all of the people that are allowing fear and other things keep them from pursuing their dreams. And worse, I’ve realized from talking to many friends and family over the last few months that there are many people who don’t even have any dreams, or they’ve just given up on dreaming.

I will be interviewing and talking to all kinds of people about their dreams and posting it here on the blog, including some photos and video.  I want to feature people who have a dream they want to pursue, people already in pursuit of their dreams, and people who have achieved one or more of their dreams.  One of my dreams is to make a documentary from the interviews and stories that come out of this project.

Also, people can create a free account here on the website where they can share their own dreams, fears, challenges, accomplishments, and inspiring stories. It’s an online community where we can give encouragement and feedback to one another.

I know this journey is much easier for me when I’m inspired, encouraged and don’t feel like I’m doing it alone. I know I need some accountability and to feel challenged. I know from talking to people about this for a few months that I’m not alone.

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream.  A dream you dream together is reality.” – John Lennon

I hope you will join us!

Trish

What’s your dream?  If you would like to share your hopes and dreams with us please sign up and start sharing and interacting with fellow dreamers!  Soon we will have the site set up so that everyone will have the ability to blog, but for now you can get started by setting up your profile and posting in the forums.

Also, if you have any dreams you want to share or ideas for this project please send them my way:

Email:

dream@idareyoutodream.com

Snail mail:

Trish Badger

9337B Katy Freeway #192

Houston, TX 77024

Filed Under: dream, Dreamer, Photos Tagged With:

Courage in pursuit of a dream

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Courage – mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” – Erma Bombeck

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” - Walt Disney

Fear.  It’s amazing how powerful it is.  It kept me from my dreams for years and continues to creep up on me.  However, courage can be just as powerful and can take us beyond our wildest dreams.

In January of 2008 I finally had the courage to follow my dream of becoming a photographer.  I wanted to focus on music photography – shooting concerts, band promos, album covers, magazine covers, etc.  The only experience I had was shooting on automatic mode with my point and shoot camera.  The thought of a band asking me to take photos of them seemed so crazy and far off.  I bought my Rebel XTi and started shooting anything and everything.  I then started shooting some local concerts and some in College Station.  I loved capturing a concert with my camera and I wanted to do as much of it as possible.

In October of that year I took a trip to Austin to see and shoot my friends Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights.  I had heard a lot of great things about the opening band The Alternate Routes, but had never seen them live.  I was blown away.  I took photos of their set and was actually happy with some of them.  I really wanted to show them a few of the photos I took but I was really nervous.  What if they were snobby and didn’t care about my photos at all?  I just decided to go for it and face my fear of rejection.  Because I had the courage to share my photos with Tim, the lead singer, he ended up asking me to take some promo type photos of them a few days later on their day off in San Antonio.  I just couldn’t believe it… I had been pursuing photography for less than a year and a band was asking to do a shoot with me.  I was completely freaked out, inexperienced, nervous, and so excited I might have jumped up and down a little (later on of course).

Since then I’ve traveled with The Alternate Routes as their tour photographer 3 times and they’ve become great friends.  My experience with them and the way they’ve encouraged me has forever changed my life and career.

I’m so glad I had the courage to share my photos with them that first day we met!!!  And I can’t imagine what my life would be like today if I had not had finally had the courage to pursue my dream of becoming a photographer.  I’ve done so many things that have scared me since, and I have yet to have any regrets.

Be courageous and face your fears… the rewards are well worth it!

The Alternate Routes and me in San Antonio (photo taken by my friend Sherrice Waller)

The Alternate Routes backstage at House of Blues Orlando

The Alternate Routes in Austin

The Alternate Routes backstage with Carbon Leaf in Chicago

More photos at www.trishbadger.com

Filed Under: courage, dream, Photos Tagged With: , , , ,

Sacrifice in pursuit of a dream

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Sacrifice – surrender of something for the sake of something else; something given up

I believe that sacrifice is often inevitable in the pursuit of ones dreams.  In my own experience I’ve sacrificed a lot, but it’s all been well worth it.

When I bought my first SLR camera after finally deciding to pursue my dream of being a photographer I sacrificed an amazing vacation with my friends on a cruise ship with John Mayer.  Many of my friends were going on the first Mayercraft and the cost of the trip was about the same as the cost of my camera.  It was really tough missing out on that experience, but I was holding on to hope that buying my camera would lead to amazing experiences, and it most definitely has!

The sacrifice I made the day I bought my camera has payed off in too many ways to count, one of them being that some of my photos are now on John Mayer’s website after having an opportunity to shoot his concert!  I used to attend concerts (his especially) and wonder how in the heck those photographers right in front of the stage with the “fancy cameras” got the opportunity to be there.  I wished and hoped that one day I would be one of them, but it wasn’t until I made the decision to finally go for it, along with making some sacrifices, that it was even a possibility.

I’ve made countless sacrifices in pursuit of my dreams since that initial one.  I’ve sacrificed hundreds of hours that I’ve spent teaching myself photography, practicing photography, trying to market my photography, etc.  I’ve since sacrificed thousands of dollars on photography equipment… money I could have spent on clothes, music, travel, etc.

Has it been worth it?  Oh yeah… most definitely!

taken with my iPhone at the concert

More photos from this show can be seen HERE

Filed Under: dream, Photos, sacrifice Tagged With: , , , ,