• LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US

8WomenDream

Dream Big Stories

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONNECT
You Are Here Home » HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM » 5 Ways to Cultivate Inner Confidence to Achieve Your Dream

in HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM

5 Ways to Cultivate Inner Confidence to Achieve Your Dream

Last updated on July 8th, 2022 at 04:17 pm

It was a dream come true that involved a former bank building, two artists who are madly in love, a small historic New York town, a $50,000 grant, and an astonishing collection of shoes.

Last Friday night, The Foundry for Art Design + Culture opened in Cohoes, New York. The dream was more than 5 years in the making.

The two artists who made it come true, Jesse Matulis and Alana Sparrow, are a happily married couple who had a joint vision to someday create a space and center like this.

Seeing this dream come true reminded me of what it takes to bring our visions to life. In summary: vision, persistence, passion, lots of hard work, and maybe a dose of magic.

An Enduring Vision

I first met Jesse and Alana years ago, before they ever became a couple. When I first moved to Troy, New York in 1997 I worked for The Arts Center of the Capital Region, and Jesse was a College of St. Rose student who used to win all of our “street-painting” competitions, which involved drawing on the sidewalk in chalk. He was an incredible artist and a sweetheart.

Fast forward a few years. I met Alana through the Troy arts and downtown community through gallery events that she was hosting in various empty storefront spaces and buildings in Troy. She was a fountain of energy, pixie-ishly beautiful, almost like a creature from another magical world. And did she ever know how to throw a party! People also turned out in droves for her art events.

Alana held a vision of having her own art space. At some point, she and Jesse met and joined forces. Somehow it wasn’t surprising that these two fell in love. Both are high energy, ferociously creative, fiercely talented, and passionate about art and creating community.

In 2005, the couple purchased the former Mechanic Savings Bank building, originally built in 1931, on Remsen Street in Cohoes, New York, a small Hudson River community just minutes from Albany, New York. Like many historic bank buildings from that era, it is grand, with vaulted ceilings and large arched windows.

The fact that the building needed tons of work might have been too daunting for many people to take on. For those with clarity of purpose, vision, and passion like Alana and Jesse, it was just a matter of time.

Accelerating the Process

These two had vision and determination. They were committed and had the talent and strong work ethic needed to pull off a project of this magnitude. They still needed some funding to move forward with their dream, however.

They applied for and received a Pepsi Refresh Grant in 2010, providing another $50,00o in cash for renovations, administration, and revamping their Website. Alana said this moved the pace of the project along by about three years, enabling them to get more of it in motion much faster.living dreams with artists at Foundry

Now, the 6,875-square-foot building is completely renovated with eco-friendly materials and an elegant design, fitting for a New York City-style loft or gallery space. 3,800 square feet is commercial space available for events, and the remainder is two loft-style live/work apartments which are reserved for resident artists.

Alana and Jesse live in the upstairs apartment currently, which features a spa-worthy bathroom and a walk-in closet that has plenty of room to accommodate an amazing collection of shoes. Lovely, stylish Alana has one of the most impressive high heel collections I have ever seen, with lots of vintage shoes and many that are gasp-worthy.

Vision and Mission

According to the Website for the Foundry, this is the organization’s mission and vision:

Mission: The Foundry’s mission is to identify and create economic opportunity for individuals working in the arts and creative sectors.

Vision: The Foundry is dedicated to connecting the arts and creative sectors to the business, civic, education and non-profit community of New York State’s Capital Region.

The Foundry strives to teach businesses, artists, institutions, and community developers how to use arts and culture in enriching and strengthening the physical, economic, and social revitalization of our region.

Gorgeous, right?

I find the vision statement especially compelling, and for me at least it helps me understand how Jesse and Alana pulled off what they did, working long and hard on preparing this space, often doing much of the hardest work themselves, of peeling old paint, scraping, renovating, reconstructing, building.

Moving towards a compelling vision for something bigger than you gives you strength. And this had been their dream for so long. I was not in the least surprised and was thrilled for them when they launched the space last Friday night with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music, and then plenty of DJed dancing. The public could tour all of the building, including the live-work spaces.

Who We Need to Be to Live Our Dreams

Having known Alana and Jesse for as long as I have, I know they are special people. I have always sensed in them such energy, passion, and purpose. You can feel that when you meet people sometimes. And clearly, they are talented. Yet, I believe any of us can live even the biggest and most outlandish dreams when we believe it’s possible, and do the work.

I think it really starts with the vision and the belief: the vision for what is possible, and the belief that we can do it. For many people, this last piece can be challenging.

I have always loved this Marianne Williamson quote:

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

So often, I have seen wonderful and talented people who are afraid to go after what they want. Life contains some disappointments and setbacks for all of us, and for some people what is possible can become eclipsed by the fear of not being able to create what we want or not knowing how to get from here to there.

This is a big part of the reason that I do life coaching, and love writing for this blog, because I know, from having lived so many of my own dreams, what is possible, and I know as well that living our dreams begins with the belief that we can.

Alana and Jesse always seemed to embody that confidence that of course, they would make this dream happen. Anyone can find that sense of confidence within, I believe. It may come more naturally for some than others, but we all can cultivate it.

Start From Within

5 ways to cultivate inner confidence:

1. Look for examples of others who have lived dreams that inspire you, and read their stories.
Sometimes it’s comforting simply to be reminded that everyone who has lived a dream has had to overcome some challenges along the way.

2. Remind yourself of all the successes in your life thus far, and what you’ve had to do to achieve what you have achieved.
So often when we’re in a space of doubt or fear, we discount or forget all that we’ve already accomplished in our lives. We are all more powerful than we tend to give ourselves credit for.

3. Take small action steps towards any dream, and celebrate the progress and small victories along the way.
Life is all about the moments, after all, and the journey, so part of what’s fun about living our dreams is simply, well, living it! This means taking action on things that we are passionate about, no matter where the journey takes us next.

4. Remind yourself that the seed of a dream was planted in you because it matches your unique talents and gifts.
I find that we do tend to be equipped to achieve what we want to achieve because we are led to pursue visions that are aligned with who we are. And, it’s always possible to bring other people onto our “dream team” to help us with the pieces of our dream that most challenge us. We are not meant to walk the path alone.

5. See yourself achieving your dream. Visualize it!
We are able to create in the world most powerfully when we can first see it happening. Know that you can achieve what you dream of and that it first starts with believing.

How to break the habit of self-doubt and build real confidenceThe Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are PaperbackSelf-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to YourselfGirl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be
Lisa Powell-Graham
Lisa Graham

Lisa P. Graham is an inspirational writer, life coach, TED motivational speaker, and globe-trotter whose passion is to help others to find happiness and meaning in their daily lives. A political activist at heart, Lisa would like to empower more women to run for political office as a way to create positive change in the world. You can find her on her website or watch her TEDx speech on YouTube.

Note: Articles by Lisa may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.

Related Stories:

  • How To Find Your Self-Confidence to Achieve Big Dreams
    How To Find Your Self-Confidence to Achieve Big Dreams
  • How to Cultivate the Habit of Being Grateful
    How to Cultivate the Habit of Being Grateful
  • Here’s a Quick Way to Repair Your Big Dream Inner Compass
    Here’s a Quick Way to Repair Your Big Dream Inner Compass
  • Top 8 Ways Dream Momentum Helps You Achieve Your Goals
    Top 8 Ways Dream Momentum Helps You Achieve Your Goals
Tell your friends!

Filed Under: HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM

Some of the posts on 8WD contain affiliate links or links to purchase products or programs from 8WD contributors. This means 8WD or the contributor may make a small commission if you make a purchase. The 8WD affiliate links help offset the cost of hosting this website and the contributor links help support the dreams of the contributor. Please check out the 8WD Legal Page for more details.

Thank you for your continued support!

« Bucket List Travel Dreams: Oktoberfest in Munich
Dream Photographer Vacation – Destination: Kentucky »

Check it out

  • LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US


The 8WomenDream Dream Tote Bag

About the 8WomenDream Tote Bag
US – 10oz Cotton
Dimensions (External Dimensions)
• Height – 18″ (45.72cm or 457.2mm)
• Width – 15″ (38.1cm or 381mm)
Handle Dimensions (Internal Dimensions)
• Length – 29″ (73.7cm or 736.6mm)

Recent Dream Stories

  • Winter Solstice Celebrations: What to Do With 1 Minute More?
  • Starting Over as a Single Mom Wasn’t My Big Dream
  • Warning: Big Dream to Be a Motivational Speaker Won’t Always Obey Your Plans
  • Dance to Relieve Stress to Focus on Your Big Dream
  • 6 Tips to Avoid Get Rich Quick Scams as a Public Speaker
  • A Dream to Spread MLK’s Message of Love
  • Best Goal Setting Advice that Actually Works
  • 8 Solstice Traditions for Focusing on Your Big Dream this Year
Catherine Hughes on Dealspotr
Catherine Hughes
@8WomenDream
Let’s collaborate
Powered by Dealspotr

Inspiration

More About 8WD

WE BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS THE POWER TO ACHIEVE BIG DREAMS.
 
IT IS OUR SINCEREST WISH THROUGH THE SHARING OF PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO TRY TO ACHIEVE A BIG DREAM THAT WE WILL INSPIRE YOU GO AFTER A BIG DREAM TOO.
 
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT 8WOMENDREAM, HERE.

8 WOMEN DREAM | COPYRIGHT All RIGHTS RESERVED © 2023 ·

Welcome to 8WomenDream Where Big Dreams Are Shared
The 8WomenDream website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT REJECT READ MORE
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT