Finding Inspiration to Follow Your Dream

Do you have a dream that you haven’t fulfilled yet? If you do then this story of finding inspiration to follow your dream is for you.

When I was a kid, I loved to read. My fascination started with Dr. Seuss and then the Nancy Drew mysteries.  On summer mornings, I rode my bike across town and sat in the city library, mesmerized by what I read about famous people.

I always had a feeling I wanted to write books, but it was vague with no concrete idea. When I was in graduate school at the University of the Pacific, I worked at a golf retreat with Michael Murphy, the visionary author and co-founder of the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.

I asked if he always knew he was going to write a book and he said writing was like giving birth. He felt it was inside him, but didn’t know when it was going to come out. He didn’t “give birth” to his first book, Golf in the Kingdom, until he was 40, and has since penned several literary works, including The Kingdom of Shivas Irons.

The Idea of Divot & Swish

About 15 years ago, my idea became crystal-clear. I was in a children’s bookstore in California, looking at books with my then-husband, Rudy Duran. Something Rudy said prompted me to say: “I’m going to write a children’s book series and call it Adventures of Divot & Swish.”

I described the pictures in my head of what the animated characters, Divot & Swish, looked like - Divot’s body and head was a golf ball sitting on top of a grass divot with arms and legs extending from the ball. Swish looked like a basketball net with a basketball forming the top of his head and colorful basketball shoes finishing of a sporty look.

Then the years passed by. I secretly talked to family and close friends about my book series, but actually doing it seemed overwhelming. I didn’t have time or resources, and I certainly didn’t know how to get a book on a shelf. I always had a logical reason for not following my dream.

Finding Inspiration

In September 2019, I attended a women’s leadership luncheon. Our keynote speaker was the dynamic Jill Donovan, founder of Rustic Cuff, whose story is one of turning tragedy into triumph. She talked about how her faith helped her go from attorney and law professor to founding her company which changes lives through cuff bracelets and more.

Jill Donovan and Beth

Jill had a dream but initially didn’t know how to achieve it. However, she chose to walk in faith and pursue her dream step by step by step. When she didn’t know what to do, she focused on figuring out the step immediately in front of her. She encouraged us to do the same.

That transformative day, Jill inspired me to go after my dream. I spoke with her afterwards and told her I was going home to start my first book. If I hadn’t heard Jill’s message, I don’t know if I would’ve ever “birthed” Divot & Swish.

I blocked off four days in October 2019 to write. My initial plan was to go to a cabin on a lake or a nearby lake.  I decided not to leave my ailing Maltese, Chianti, who passed away the following month. Ultimately, I sat at my kitchen bar with my laptop, a cup of coffee and Chianti by my side.

Four hours later, I had the first draft of Adventures of Divot & Swish in Costa Rica. I believe God worked through me to write what had been in my heart and mind for years. There were a few edits, including a small, but significant, title change to Adventures with Divot & Swish in Costa Rica. But the core message of the book remained: readers will travel the world with Divot & Swish as they make new friends, learn different sports, explore diverse cultures and develop valuable superpowers.

Since my moment with Jill, some steps have been easier than others. In full transparency, there have been days I’ve cried and almost given-up on my dream. I’m grateful to many people including my dad, other family members, close friends, and kind individuals in the book industry who have encouraged me and been instrumental in bringing Divot & Swish to life.

Today, I’m waiting for the published books to arrive. In many ways, my adventures with Divot & Swish are only beginning. I’m uncertain of what the future holds but am committed to courageously and faithfully taking one step at a time as I continue to follow my dream.

You can go after your dream too. As Dr. Seuss said in Oh, the Places You’ll Go:

“You’re off to Great Places!

            Today is your day!

            Your mountain is waiting,

            So… get on your way!”

And Adventures with Divot & Swish is evidence that it’s never too late.

Follow your dream,

Beth Brown, Ph. D.

Author, Adventures with Divot & Swish