Hope Lopez – write out your DREAM!!!

Dreams often hit like a ton of bricks. They’re unpredictable, shocking, yet sublime. It’s the reason we wake up in the morning. It’s what gets us through the day. It’s what gives meaning to a futile sleep. For a little baby girl born in the ghetto, dreams mean something significant. It’s the heart and soul of what it means to be alive. To dream is to be. I grew up a little Chicana with dreams. The biggest one I ever had was to own my own Mexican restaurant. That was the most realistic. However, it was through films that my imagination really soared. I fell in love with the escapism. Not to mention, watching films was a family pastime, almost like a sacred tradition. By thirteen, I moved into a suburban neighborhood in which a world of opportunity opened up. Finally, I had the calling to make films. Previously, I was considered a fan of cinema but then I turned into a complete cinephile. These dreams turned into a burning obsession. By college, I took every free opportunity to write my own stories. During this time, I created my first feature length drama and a sitcom pilot, both of which have a Chicana protagonist.

For me, writing serves as a form of catharsis. It also saved my life. When I was 19, I was groomed by an abusive manager. This made me spiral into a deep depression and attempt suicide. The only healthy way of coping was to write and to dream my way out of an oppressive situation. I wrote about my experiences and gained a new sense of power over my narrative. Not only that, it was my dream of becoming a filmmaker that kept me alive. My dream of my voice being heard and having others’ stories heard. This is my mission in life. To have underrepresented voices come to the forefront. I write with the intention of bringing appropriate representation to people of color, women, LGBTQIA, writers with disabilities, and other minority groups. As a Chicana with mental health issues, it is important for me to stand up and fix the broken narrative that has been told for generations. Who else will do it?

There is a fire that will never burn out. That fire is in all of us. For me, it’s too vast to contain. I have to write it out. You can too! In the words of Carl Jung, “Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Those who dream have the potential to self-actualize. That is the point. To change, to evolve, and to live authentically. I write to live out my dream and through this I end up finding myself. The real me. The One.

I encourage others to write out their dreams and post it in the comments below. It’s important to have this dialogue within the community. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable! It is through vulnerability where the real work is done.