Hi! Welcome to Dreams, etc.!
At Dreams, etc., we’re all about intentional living for a joyful and creative life.
The Storyteller
I’m Crystal and I’m so excited to meet you! Seriously, some people put down “online friendships,” but I’ve met some of my best friends through the online journals I had before I took the leap and started Dreams, etc.
If I were to describe myself in one word it would be: storyteller. I’ve been telling stories all my life and finally started putting pen-to-paper to write them down when I was in 7th grade. I haven’t stopped! (Although now pen-to-paper has turned into fingers-to-keyboard.) I have a degree in English from the University of Minnesota with an emphasis on creative writing.
I believe stories are important. Fictional stories can take us to new places and teach us valuable lessons from the comfort of our own home. They can provide an escape when we need it the most. And real life stories? We all have one! And I believe our stories are meant to be shared. They help us connect and grow. They help us become better versions of ourselves.
So, here’s my story: I was born and raised in Wisconsin, where I lived an idyllic life in a beautiful college town until I was ripped away at the age of 9 and my parents forced me to move to Minnesota. #pastorskidlife I was determined not to move again, so I let them know I was a tad displeased and refused to go to school. After a lot of yelling and kicking in a parking lot, Jesse Ventura eventually got me through the rest of the school. (I haven’t told that story, yet? Hmm… maybe one day.) I also discovered (years later, when I was finally free to move wherever I wanted) that Minneapolis isn’t so bad. It’s a vibrant, artsy city perfect for storytellers of any kind, so I decided to stay put for awhile. I still live in Minneapolis, with my sweet pup Mina (aka Little One). After college I did a number of things before landing on doing what I do best: telling stories. I work in communications for churches and non-profits to help them tell their stories.
As I started to navigate post-college life I realized how easy it is for the things I love the most–telling stories–to get lost in the shuffle, particularly when it comes to my first loves: fiction and poetry. I never felt like I had enough time, energy, or inspiration, like I did back when I was a high schooler, constantly filling up notebooks with new stories.
That’s when I realized I’d have to be intentional about creating a life that filled with me time and inspiration I needed to sit down and write.
That’s what Dreams, etc. is all about.
It’s a place to discuss our attempt to live intentionally for a joyful and creative life.
For me, this looks like:
- going out on adventures (whether it’s my own city or someplace new)
- filling up by taking in other people’s stories (reading, plays, TV or movies) “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” Stephen King
- taking time for myself (that extra 20 minutes in the morning to express myself through make-up or an extra 10 minutes before bed for my skincare routine)
- creating healthy habits (like dancing or stretching or… still working on it… going to bed at a decent time)
It’s my hope that we can come together and form long-lasting friendships as we share our own stories and encourage each other to live intentionally so that we can be joyful (even in the dark times) and pursue our heart’s desires.
I would love to get to know YOU more!
Let me know what living intentionally means for you and what you’re pursuing each day! Send me an email ( bonjour [at] crystalbrutlag.com ), or a DM on Instagram or Twitter to say hi!
