Because it makes a classic good story, Hollywood inspirational movies are big on the "following our dreams" theme, but like everything Hollywood does, it simplifies the matter to the point of turning it into a fairy tale. Those who believe too strongly in the movie version of life (even -- and especially -- if the tale is "based on a true story") are destined to be disappointed, because Hollywood dreams, with the predictability of a Disney movie, always tie up neatly at the end.

Dreams, aspirations, ambitions, and hopes are funny things: we all have them; most of us (wisely) share the details with only a few trusted people; and all of us, at some point, wonder if we're crazy, overreaching, or unrealistic about what lies so deep within our heart that we can't remove it.

The house in Steve Henderson's painting above, Forgotten Path, is an example of a dream that one family had: to homestead land, raise a family, eat what they grew, and build a decent life based upon simplicity, hard work, and well-earned rest. For this family, that did happen, and though the house is now abandoned, it had -- many years ago -- its moments of noise, laughter, busy days, and quiet nights.

There are a number of such houses in the Pacific Northwest where we live, and with most of them, we are left to wonder because we don't know anyone who lived in them, or who remembers the story of how they came about. But every abandoned house has it story, its residents who had a dream and set about working to achieve it, and thereby lies the classic good story, one that remains with humanity in every generation:

Human beings dream and reach for lofty things (one hopes that they are good, lofty things that do not interfere with the efforts of other human beings to reach for their own good, lofty things). We try, we work, we brainstorm, we fall, we get up, we fall again and we get up again. The very frustrations that impel us forward are frequently the impetus that keep us moving, and they are the backbone of the stories we tell about the journey we make.

Reaching for a dream is a lifetime activity, one lived day by day, and no Hollywood movie -- in its two hours of encapsulation -- can capture the determination, heartbreak, joy, disappointment, encouragement, confusion, and confidence it takes to achieve what lies deep in our hearts.

See more of Steve's Commonsense memes at his Free for Sharing page (the Facebook share isn't quite where we want it right now, but we're working on this).

Find out more about Forgotten Path and Steve's original oil paintings by contacting us at [email protected]. If you have an image memory that you would like to see as a commissioned painting, contact us as well.

One of our dreams is to make fine art more affordable, so that anyone who wants to can own a beautiful piece of art that sparks a sense of joy, hope, and a willingness to dream. For this reason, we license Steve's works; you can find prints of Steve's works at the following online retailers:

We live in a world of beauty.

Sometimes, this is difficult to grasp because so much of what we see every day -- office cubicles, freeway toll booths, strip malls, parking lots, digital billboards -- are not beautiful. They are, instead, a reminder that there is much we are demanded to do, rarely enough time to do it in, and no matter whether we complete our many tasks on time or not, someone, somewhere who will be dissatisfied.

Indeed, it is difficult to find beauty in this, but this is not the place to find beauty.

The place to find beauty is in items of permanence -- mountains, lakes, seashores, valleys -- and the regular, secure signs of the seasons -- the flowers of spring, the blazing leaves of autumn, the chirp of insects on a summer evening, the stars clear and bright overhead on a cold winter night. These elements -- which transcend human life and our ability to create them -- remind us that there is more to life than schedules, seminar speak, peer pressure (which exists long, long after elementary school), social media witticisms, project deadlines, last week's bills, and this week's flurry of legislation from the city, state, Congress, White House, and numerous agencies no ordinary person had a part in creating.

Seek beauty. Stop in the hurried moments of the day and look at the clouds. Focus on the small flower, valiantly growing through the cracks in the sidewalk. Feel the breeze on your face. Marvel at the light of midday, the way it bathes everything in warmth. Wonder at the many colors of green -- a chorus of color in any place where there are bushes, trees, and grass. The next time you're tempted to look at your phone, look at your hand instead -- isn't it amazing how the thumb and fingers work seamlessly together to grab, grasp, touch, handle, and feel?

In Light of Zion, Steve's painting of a woman immersed in the beauty of one of the world's awe inspiring places, there is a sense of freedom, joy, adventure, and peace. This is a way to walk through life, focusing on that which is noble, majestic, timeless, pure, and truly beautiful.

Fine Art in one's home is a way to be surrounded by beauty, regardless of the weather outside or the emotional climate of the day. Find Steve's work as original paintings and commissioned work on his website, and home decor prints at the following online and retail establishments: