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…
All the Way: Inspiration & Interview With Singer Hannah Schaefer on Living Her Dream
On my site Dream in Soul Hannah Schaefer, a 19-year-old singer, shares her story of stepping out to follow her calling as a singer and learning to trust the process. Her song “All the Way” reminds us that we’re not alone even when we step into the unknown places in life…
“Through my music…I want to bring hope, faith and love with every song I sing/write and change lives.”
– Hannah Schaefer
For this Artist Spotlight feature 19-year-old Hannah Schaefer introduces herself and the story and passion behind her music and the song “All the Way.” Take a listen to the song below and click here to get her EP on iTunes!
Hannah’s Story
I grew up in the small town of Columbia City, Indiana. My childhood memories consists of catching frogs on warm summer nights at my grandparents lake house and, in the winter time, pretending to be a professional snow boarder down the hill in my backyard. I’ve loved growing up in a flyover state where Jesus is frequently the center of it all…
Message in the Music: Always Wear Your Unbreakable Smile, Inspired By Tori Kelly
Tori Kelly is bringing it to the music scene – I love her meaningful lyrics and refreshing style and personality. One of my favorite songs from her is “Unbreakable Smile,” from her debut album of the same name. In it she addresses being judged and holding on to her identity in her rise in the industry, with an unbreakable smile no matter what anyone says. I think you’ll love the song as much as I do:)
Wherever you go the best things to bring are Love and your unbreakable smile (and some sparkle and shine of course;) 💖 You’re beautiful my friend and your smile lights up the world! Like the lyrics of Tori Kelly’s song say don’t let anyone shatter you or make you feel less than you are – a star🌟!
Thanks to my friend Sabbath who spontaneously took this pic for me (below) while we were at Megafest so I could post for for Tori Kelly’s partnership MTV and CoverGirl for a VMA #covermoment contest. I’m a total Tori Kelly fangirl😍 and would love to meet her – even the new curly hair style in this pic is inspired by hers – love her heart, music and curls! 😙
Be sure to follow Tori Kelly and find out more about her music and tour at ToriKellyMusic.com. Click here to get “Unbreakable Smile” on iTunes!
“‘Cause I know who I am, yeah I’m still the same
Just a California girl with big dreams
Thinking maybe they’ll let me sing songs about real things
And baby who knows maybe I can sell out shows without taking off my clothes
God made me sexy I don’t care if only I know
La da da da dee, you’re not breaking me
La de da da da, ain’t got time for ya, singing
La da da da dee, you won’t shatter me
La de da da da, got an unbreakable smile”
– Lyrics from Unbreakable Smile
Dreamer ENT Inspiring Music Pick: Eyes Wide Open Acoustic from Sabrina Carpenter
I heard Sabrina Carpenter, who plays Maya Hart on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World, sing her song “Eyes Wide Open” for the first time at the Teen Choice Awards and was inspired both by her beautiful, soulful voice and the heartfelt lyrics.
Musical Nourishment: Beautiful Flower by India Arie
Here’s one of my favorite uplifting songs, Beautiful Flower by India Arie one of my very favorite artists. Let the soothing sounds and lyrics be encouragement to your soul:
“This is the original recording of the song “Beautiful Flower”. One LIVE performance… a real talent… effortless and emotional… sung from the heart. Notice that Chris Tucker is intently listening right beside her. This song was written to help out the children of Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy For Girls in South Africa.”
LYRICS
This is a song for every girl who’s
Ever been through something she thought she couldn’t make it through
I sing these words because
I was that girl too
Wanting something better than this
But who do I turn to
Now we’re moving from the darkness into the light
This is the defining moment of our lives
‘Cause you’re beautiful like a flower
More valuable than a diamond
You are powerful like a fire
You can heal the world with your mind
There is nothing in the world that you cannot do
When you believe in you, who are beautiful
Yeah, you, who are brilliant
Yeah, you, who are powerful
Yeah, you, who are resilient
This is a song for every girl who
Feels like she is not special
‘Cause she don’t look like a supermodel Coke bottle
The next time the radio tells you to shake your moneymaker
[ Beautiful Flower lyrics found on http://www.completealbumlyrics.com ]
Shake your head and tell them, tell them you’re a leader
Now we’re moving from the darkness into the light
This is the defining moment of our lives
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