The Dare Dreamer Movement by Julene Fleurmond

It was 2009 during a dry, lonely season in my life when I had an unexpected encounter that rocked my paradigm. During the experience I had a vivid vision of being in a white dress in what seemed to be a grand forest. My first inkling was, “Is this The Garden?”

There was a calmness, a brilliance, a presence of #Love there. Like a little girl I was full of questions- “Father, why…?” I asked. He revealed his heart and love for people from the Beginning, in imagery and passion, an intimate experience I will never forget and could never have imagined on my own…

These words I remember my Father saying there were the most striking to my heart: “Do you trust me?”

Yes. I do. I will follow His way, always. Even when I don’t understand, I will choose Him. Forever… #IamMyBeloveds #HeisMine #trusttheAuthor #theLovestoryofalltime

My Beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away…

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.”

From the greatest Song of songs

There’s a dream that beats in the depths of your heart, a song YOU were created to sing – and when you muster the courage to step out and be bold, with Love you can do anything…

I was immensely inspired by the remembrance service for Dr. Maya Angelou, one of my greatest creative and life influences. Above is a snippet of a poem “Empowered by Her” that I originally wrote for my friend Kara’s special birthday celebration during Women’s History Month this year.

I thought about Dr. Angelou’s impact on my writing and poetry as I was making the full video which I will launch, and how her voice will live on in those she empowered. I found my voice and am becoming brave enough to overcome the fear of rejection to live differently because she was bold enough to live and dream on purpose…

“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill, of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.” – Dr. Maya Angelou

This post is part of a blog tour featuring a group of creative dreamers who were inspired by April Bowle’s workshop Build a Successful Creative Blog on CreativeLive.com. Find links to other places to visit on this tour at the end of this post.

What if that dream you’ve been nourishing and watering shows no signs of growth and your passion for it begins to fade?

It can be easy to get frustrated and disillusioned when the dream you’ve worked so hard on seems to be shriveling and the aspiration you were once excited about becomes a burden and chore. Instead of doing what you once loved you just want to bury your hope and put your drying, disappointing dream to rest…

For me, blogging became that dormant dream that I loved to do in the beginning but over the years the process began to get stale. It was a combination of feeling isolated without community in the blogging world, feeling as if my words were insignificant and not affecting lives as I hoped they were and feeling stuck and tired of the same routine that caused me to take a break for blogging for a few weeks…which then turned into a desert season of few months…which then became sporadic posting here and there when I felt a sprinkle of inspiration.

Recently though it was a waterfall of inspiration from a workshop Build a Successful Creative Blog on CreativeLive.com taught by April Bowles that revived my passion for blogging and the dream of impacting others through my art, writing and creativity. I have been following April online for a few years now and have been continually inspired by her blog and brand at Blacksburg Belle where she shares her passions and helps entrepreneurs bring their creative dreams to reality through coaching and various resources full of personality and wisdom.

The way April’s workshop motivated me the most is by showing me that I was not alone in my fears and challenges with blogging, like being afraid that I’ll never find the audience I am meant to reach. April’s approach was warm and her advice was refreshing and practical. What she shared in the 3-day workshop helped reignite my passion for blogging and following my dreams. Here are some of the tips she gave that stood out the most and can be applied for anyone following a dream:

3. Cultivate Community: A dream should never be pursued alone – isolation is a weed that can suffocate the greatest of dreams! April suggests reaching out to others who are doing something similar to you, such as commenting on blogs, inviting others to partner with you (April’s dream partner Mayi Carles, pictured above, of the Heart Made blog also made an inspiring appearance) and reaching out on social media in ways that enrich and benefit others. You can also begin building a community by creating a mailing list and offering something of value for free to those who sign up to receive what you have to offer.

2. Embrace the Process of Development: In any dream you start at the beginning and often with a seed you don’t see the full potential of what you are hoping to grow. Start where you are and grow as you go! If your dream is to build a flourishing creative blog like mine is find resources that will help you hone your craft, like design courses and April’s course Build a Successful Creative Blog on CreativeLive.com, and practice your writing everyday because true growth occurs with action and strategy, not thoughts and passivity. Also, keeping a running list of ideas for your blog or dream and finding new ways to challenge yourself are great ways to keep you out of a rut and going energetically.

As April said during the workshop “Done is better than perfect!” Do the work, get the blog post (song, book, etc.) done and improve as you move. Your dream will bloom as you have the courage to step out with the best you can do. With every step you will get stronger and better, as I have seen while building my inspirational clothing line and pursuing my dream of being a singer through lessons and training. The world is not waiting for perfection but for you to come alive with passion and the dream that was planted in your heart to shine a light and make a difference in lives.

The shirts and designs featured in this post are from my inspirational clothing line Envibrance Dream Apparel, click here to find them and other inspiring styles that give back to great causes when you get them.



1. Always, Always, Always Be True to YOU! My biggest takeaway from the workshop that was a constant theme throughout the three days was to always be yourself and infuse your personality into whatever you create. Dare to be different and express your dreams in eccentric ways people may never have experienced or expected. When you are vulnerable in staring your story, authentic and unique that is when your vision will grow and people will be drawn to you.

I was inspired by April’s examples of how she shares her various passions throughout her blog like how she shares personal stories, creative photography and recipes that show who she is and can set her apart from others who have similar businesses. Mayi Carles, whose colorful energy and positive light illuminated my computer screen, also shared her story of personal loss and how she started her blog and dared to share playful, quirky videos despite the taunting of friends and family who were close to her. She was the one left laughing when her blog became well-known and featured in various news outlets – proof that being you is the key to true success even if no one seems to be paying attention at first. I myself recently got an amazing opportunity through my blog that is a dream come true after years of sowing seeds – I can’t wait to share when it launches!

The Renaissance of Dreamfleur

This post marks a revival of Dreamfleur.com and new beginning for me, hopefully for you too, to rejuvenate those dreams buried away in your heart. Over the past few weeks I have been nurturing the vision of Dreamfleur and will be bringing new creative features, videos and more to help inspire you toward your dreams. I also commit to overcome fear to express myself, share stories of what I have experienced and embrace my inner-child (my photo above is inspired by April and Mayi’s photo shoot wearing tutus – Mayi says she thanks her 5-year-old self for reminding her to dream big and reclaim her voice).

“Be you to the full- you are beautiful, made w/ purpose & dreams that are meant to change the world.” -@dreamfleur
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Thank you April, Mayi and CreativeLive for your vibrant energy, inspiring me to revive my dreams, giving me the freedom to wear a tutu and impacting my life!

What’s one step you will take today to nourish your dreams so they can flourish? How can you express yourself more fully and uniquely through what you do? Below is some encouragement for you in video form (one of my first steps to expressing myself and making blogging more enjoyable):

The “Live Your Dreams the World Awaits” and “You Are Beautifully Made” shirts featured in this post are from my inspirational clothing line Envibrance Dream Apparel, click here to find them and other inspiring styles that give back to great causes when you get them.

Continue Your Journey on the #BelleLIVE Blog Tour

This post is part of a blog tour featuring creative bloggers who were inspired by April Bowle’s CreativeLive workshop. Here are two other posts from that tour for you to visit, and see all of the other posts by clicking here:

#BelleLive Blog Tour from Nelia Freitas

Learning, blogging, doing.
from Josephine Mills at Courage and Dash

Check out April Bowles’ latest post on Blacksburg Belle that is a real gem for bloggers and creatives: 52 Blog Post Topics for Creative Entrepreneurs

More Dreamfleur Inspiration For Following Your Dreams

Never give up on your dreams, below is a special message to nourish your heart when you get weary:

HeartBlooms: Give Your Dreams Some Love – Dreams in Due Season: A Poem & Message to Encourage

Those dreams in your heart are there for a reason, though you get weary don’t give up on your purpose…

Read More »

To Boldly Go Where You’ve Always Imagined…

There are those dreams you are responsible for bringing to fruition in a sense; things you want to create, experience and learn how to do. “I want to (insert activity here)… someday.” Why not now, why not today?

Read More »

Arise & Shine Dare Dreamer: Snippet of My Song’s Lyric Video

Is there a dream that you’ve buried because it’s seemed impossible or impractical? For the longest time I have done just this but as I encourage you to pursue your dreams even while you are afraid, I have to muster up the courage to do the same myself. A while back I shared how I…

Arise & Shine Dare Dreamer: Unearth Your Buried Dreams – Diary of an Inspirational Singer & Songwriter

Who says you have to be perfect to pursue your passion? One of my mottos is to follow the dreams in your heart no matter how impossible or lofty they may seem or how afraid you may be or unqualified you may feel. A few months back I began Project Stretch & Grow…

Watch the Memorial Service of Dr. Maya Angelou Held on June 7, 2014

Dr. Maya Angelou is the epitome of a phenomenal woman who boldly was herself and showed us how to live on purpose. She has been one of the greatest inspirations in my life, a motivation for me to embrace being a woman of faith and Renaissance Dreamer. The world will always remember her voice and legacy. Below are some of my favorite words from this remarkable woman:

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou

I love this quote and how it reminds me of how what may appear beautiful (or successful and esteemed) may have been molded through a long period of trial, darkness, growth and solitude. What we believe to be an over night success is never really made over night. There’s always a journey that shapes us, and a process that graces us to achieve true beauty.

“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.” – Maya Angelou

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color…” “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” – Maya Angelou

The Dream In Color African American Heritage project is sponsored by Target and Scholastic, Inc. It features various videos of Renaissance woman Dr. Maya Angelou, poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director. Here are some of her words from the video entitled “How can students find their creative voice?”

Dr. Maya Angelou: “I would say to young people and to old people or upper middle age, that we have seriously crippled ourselves and our children by telling people, ‘don’t try all these different things. You’ll become a jack of all trades and a master of none’. That’s ridiculous. You can become the master of everything. The best you can be.

“You know, we don’t understand talent. We don’t understand electricity. We probably use about one millionth of one billionth percent of the electricity around us. However, you can plug into two little holes in the wall, or three. You can light up a church, a cathedral, a synagogue, a temple. You can light up a surgery. You can light up a…a bedroom. Or you can electrocute a person strapped in a chair. Electricity makes no demands. It says if you are intelligent you will use me intelligently. If you’re not, you will use me destructively. But I’m here.
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Your dream IS in reach…you’ve come too far to give up now. That vision is closer than you think – the world is waiting for you to embrace and take hold of it. Don’t turn back before you break through… Live boldly, Dare Dreamer – we are waiting to experience the beauty that only you can bring. I believe in you!

– Julene, Designer and Dreamer of Envibrance Dream Apparel

Click here to get the Every Great Dream T-shirt in women’s sizes.