Archive for May 2016
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Arise and Shine: Join Me On the Dare Dreamer Music Journey & Renaissance Artist Project
Above is an animation showing a snippet of lyrics for my song “Arise and Shine (Dare Dreamer)” and a little venturing into stop-motion (I love trying new things) The lyrics in the clip above say:
“Arise and Shine, Dare Dreamer can’t you see you’re full of purpose and possibility! So arise and shine O Sleeper, don’t give up now dare, Dreamer, arise and shine Dear Dreamer come alive!” That’s my message to YOU today and everyday!
A while back I shared how I have been pursuing my dream of inspiring others through music. It’s weird but I’ve been realizing that one of the reasons why I’ve been avoiding doing music is because I’ve been feeling so unconnected with so much of the music in the world and felt like I had to follow the way things have been done. I was like I’m not even as passionate about singing as I am about other things and as much as music artists are, I don’t feel like a “singer,” I’m a speaker/writer/visual artist why do You want me to do this??? Then He told me though multiple ways and people, why can’t you be both, I made you that way…why can’t we merge our passions into something that hasn’t been seen before?
It came to the point where I couldn’t even listen to music or enjoy it much, like I always felt like something was off for me. Not because other music is bad music but because when God wants you to step out into the unknown to create something new He makes you restless and annoyed until you do it, lol…so don’t avoid your purpose. You won’t feel fully alive until you fully embrace your calling.
Dreamers often get frustrated because what God asks them to do doesn’t make “sense”, as they are made to do something new and get tired of the status quo – usually because they are meant to shake things up to change the world – misfits are lit yo…🔥 we weren’t made to be “normal.” We color outside the lines to pioneer a new path that no one has seen…
People like Walt Disney🐭 and Oprah Winfrey🎬 inspire me (I might have been their wild child😜) because they paved new paths, defined their own success and innovated unique dreams that did not exist before and didn’t wait for anyone’s validation. That’s my dream – to meld my passions into something new that may not “fit in” but expresses that part of God’s heart I’m created to be. For the longest time I felt pressured to do what others expected me to or to fit a mold so others can like me but that’s no way to live!
I don’t want this to be about me – stars don’t shine alone in the dark sky. My dream is not celebrity but community – to ignite a movement to unite singers and artists who have a heart for creating art with a greater mission and together we support one another, collaborate and change the world. Sound like you? Send me a line!
<3 Why do so many great artists fall and why do so many artists struggle - maybe because we were never made to carry glory alone or to be worshipped but to unite to draw people to the greatest Artist of all.
So much of music today follows a pattern and that’s cool, I understand there is strategy for commercial and practical reasons so people can sing along, but there’s something stirring in my heart that’s sooo…different. Something spontaneous, free and that breaks out of the “create music for an industry” mindset. It feels wrong trying to put on somebody else’s armor, and like I’ve been striving to be a “music artist” or make music that fits a mold – verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge. I’ve written songs like this but it’s also okay to break out of the mold…
What if we could create with childlike wonder, what if that’s the way we were meant to be and dream since the beginning, since we were kids – everyone as artists, creating like their Creator, the ultimate Dreamer not art for applause, awards or career’s sake but because it’s like a heartbeat, a wild love language, it comes naturally like we breathe creativity and creativity sets us free to be more like Him and to be with Him…create art for Love’s sake.
What if alot of what we call excellent art today is excellent conformity? God is about patterns and order, but He isn’t predictable, containable or mechanical. We needa break out the box and color outside the lines to truly express Love’s heart!
There’s a new Renaissance brewing, of artists creating unseen, unheard-of art out of encounters with God to draw others in to deeper encounter with Him. This art is beyond what we’ve experienced before. Now is your time to arise and shine a greater light into the world, creating art “that draws on a different realm of beauty, excellence and creativity,”(words inspired from Bethel’s School of Creativity that I was able to experience recently).
From taking theater and ballet classes and taking part in a music training program I’ve been learning to stretch myself and grow in ways I never thought possible…
People from my church have encouraged me with words that I’m meant to be different and create a fusion of the visual and performing arts, and make music from the heart of God that sets people’s hearts free, songs of deliverance that maybe even supernaturally break through the mind and goes to the soul, words of truth that speaks to the lonely and broken and that they can speak over themselves. If that’s not a motivation to make music I don’t know what is…my dream is to bring true healing to people’s hearts and to do it differently.
Music is a language, from Heaven and it’s even more powerful than we even think. Our voices are world-changing – God spoke the universe into motion through His voice and the Word.
An industry doesn’t own music, “singers” don’t own music, God made music for everyone to embrace – everyone has a song! There’s something important to music, more important than the perfect voice, riffs and runs – there is something that connects us all, like it was a language we were all meant to use to communicate and it frees us to do it. What if we can sing like Heaven does to release Heaven on Earth?
Even God sings over us and this whole Uni-verse is His song over us, a beautiful song of love, every breath, star and flower a story of redemption and beauty, of a Lover drawing His children back in. What if the first language we ever heard was music, what if they sang in the Garden (whoa) and that we’ll sing for all eternity…
Above: Some lyrics of my song “Take It Back,” all about redeeming your life to embrace your freedom and the way life was meant to be…
In the past few months I’ve been taking vocal lessons, doing songwriting sessions, setting up meetings with mentors (I was signed for two years on an artist development contract with a record label whose main goal was to prepare your HEART so you could be ready to actually minister to people – it rocked my world), working on recordings and music video concepts and following this dream little by little, bit by bit.
Update: Join me on Periscope @dreamfleur and YouNow where I’m sharing the journey of creating music and inspiring songs I’ve written. Our last broadcast was fun, I enjoyed chatting with you and hearing some of your dreams! <3
I’m channeling my inner rapper for new songs I’m writing – swag all the way, ;)… Recently I’ve also had some vocal lessons and am finding that breaking through to grow & unleash my voice is a cool journey in itself – stay tuned for more…
Don’t you give up on your dreams! Stay tuned to find out how we can make beautiful music together to shine a light in the world. My soul speaks through music and poetry (poetry is written/spoken music to me) and I’ll be sharing the journey of launching encouraging music with you to inspire you to live your dreams too… Let’s get it.
This is my DareDreamer Diary📓💖📝…I want to share the process and behind the scenes with ya’ll, from the rough cuts to a dream to spread light and my heart through music, especially to the kids I get to speak to at events and schools – join me on this journey of purpose and living out our dreams…
– Julene
Click here for more from My Music Diary…
Dream Deeper and Bigger: Your Purpose and Love Can Change Lives
I find myself dreaming like Dr. King – there’s the realization that comes that we were sent here to have a greater impact then just sharing our gifts and talents but to embrace a higher purpose. God put big dreams in our hearts beyond what the world calls success because His biggest Dream is to see all of His kids come back to Him. Together we can make the Dream God gave Dr. King an even greater reality by becoming love and peace to everyone we see – even those who wrong us. My big dream is to show kids, youth and former kids who haven’t realized that they were meant to live in joy, peace and love to find a greater purpose through Love. The little girl in me (not naive but full of wonder) still believes that people are good at heart and together we can change the world – I dream like Dr. King that we’ll see all people like God does, full of #purpose and to be loved back to life… #itbehardsometimes 😐 #butitsbeautiful 😀
Below is one of the devotions I wrote for CFNI on this topic of being love to people to change the world:
“…Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:36
Our culture often looks to crowds and numbers as a measure of influence, especially in our social media-driven world. Even us the Lovers could get distracted by being overly focused on status and boosting our numbers.
Jesus did teach crowds and feed multitudes but He also did significant ministry work on the personal level. There was the moment He looked tenderly into the face of the woman at the well and several times when He stopped to heal determined individuals who were in need.
Loving others is our call, but how often do we leave our comfort zones and the church building to love people one-on-one? Are we too distracted striving to be great to notice individuals God has placed in our path for a greater purpose? When we cultivate relationships with others and genuinely show compassion they’ll tangibly experience God’s love.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Love will truly change the world – unconditional, radical love, the type that Jesus demonstrated on the cross – will you be that love and light today? In the last few days this message has been heavy on my heart as we pray for lives that have been lost and the world is looking for light and truth. We see how one person can spread darkness and destruction – what if we all dared to intentionally show love and compassion through our actions and words of kindness? All I know is that Love always wins!
“[Love] does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails! Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”
How do you treat those who are different from you? Have you ever been in heated conversation with someone with different beliefs? Throughout history, fear and pride have caused people to treat others unjustly and reject and attack those they do not understand. We see this demonstrated when even the people Jesus came to save rejected Him and nailed Him to a cross.
Because God has placed purpose in every person it’s important we learn to see others with eyes of love – how God sees them. Our culture often conditions us to judge people based on appearance, differences and assumption instead of seeing the gems of great value in them and treasuring their inner beauty and greater purpose.
The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
Who knows, you could be the one God sends to speak into the identity of those who are heartbroken, or sow seeds of love into the hearts of your friends who are looking for answers. Don’t avoid those who are different but make it your intention to engage with them and develop relationships based on who God says they are. Love will truly change the world – unconditional, radical love, the type that Jesus demonstrated on the cross – will you be that love today?
Let’s ask God to give us eyes to see those who feel invisible and forgotten, the downcast and weary. We can heal the broken-hearted and set captives free through love and service – if we dare to get uncomfortable and personal. -Julene Fleurmond #cfnidevotionals #relationships Find more inspiration and nourishment for your spirit on my magazine http://dreaminsoul.com.
Below is a video promo for Christ for the Nations that some of my friends are featured in and produced. CFNI is really an inspiring place – whatever your dream is it might be a place to learn to dream DEEPER with a greater mission:
When you have a God-dream 💖 it goes way beyond yourself, it has the good of other people in mind and takes you where you never thought you’d go…it’s like you’re a kid on an awesome adventure with your Dad a King👑🙌🏻🦁 better than any movie…🎬 (This pic was taken at Christ for the Nations – these people have truly impacted my life, thank you CFNI!) I used to dream so small, dreams that only included me and my desires and passions but God can teach us to dream with Him and have a passion for His plans, for the broken and the world…🌎
He has a dream of everyone discovering His love💞 and truth and being brought back to Him. Let’s dream and partner with our Father to help His dreams come true…give us the nations Daddy, give us a bigger dream and sense of purpose that we couldn’t come up with on our own, to rock this world with Love, Love, Love…💓 Dream BIG dreams, higher, deeper dreams that have a ripple effect on other people and that require intervention from the One greater than yourself! My mentor Cindy Thienard once wrote me an encouraging note that said: “You have a gift…I am excited and the word of God says! ‘Eyes have not seen👀, nor ears have heard👂🏼, nor has it entered into the minds of man the things I have for those who love ME!’ Love God and Dream! So BIG! that only God! can REPLY!” Now THAT’s how we should dream!
Embrace Your Freedom, Share Your Story, Live On Purpose
