Sometimes you only recognize a dream once you’re standing inside it.

For me, that moment came in a clay-dusted studio outside San Miguel de Allende, watching expert hands shape earth into something beautiful. Sun poured through open windows, catching the dust in the air and painting the kilns in golden light. I wandered among shelves lined with unfinished pieces, my imagination sparking with a dozen possibilities. It felt like stepping into the vision I’d been carrying quietly all year—a dinnerware collection that was still just sketches and “what ifs” in my notebook.

But let’s back up—because although it was a “pinch me” moment, it didn’t come out of nowhere. A few months earlier, it began with something far less romantic: a Zoom call.

I had reached out to the team at Clay Imports about creating custom tiles for our Malibu renovation. I loved their use of terra cotta and had a vision for a glaze and pattern I wanted to bring to life. At first, our conversations were practical and project-based. But as we kept talking, something shifted. We began swapping creative ideas and dreaming beyond our tile order.

That conversation turned into an invitation: come visit their studio in San Miguel, meet the artisans they work with, and explore the possibility of designing a new dinnerware collection for Casa Zuma together.

Following the Thread

When the invitation came—come to San Miguel, stay at the studio, meet the artisans, dream up a collection together—my gut instinct was YES. But then the hesitations kicked in.

For one, I barely knew the hosts, and we’d be staying at the studio where they also live (small talk before my first coffee of the day is basically my worst nightmare). Plus, my calendar was already bursting with deadlines, kid stuff, and all the daily logistics of life. Did I really have space to throw an unplanned trip to Mexico into the mix?

This is the part where it would have been easy to say no. Where the “reasonable” choice is to protect my time and avoid risk. But I’ve learned that every meaningful opportunity in my life has lived on the other side of that discomfort. The fears are usually stories my mind makes up to keep me safe—but they also keep me small.

So I chose adventure and said yes. And that “yes” didn’t just lead me to San Miguel—it opened the door to one of the most exciting creative projects I’ve worked on in a long time.

From sketch to reality

When we walked into the studio in San Miguel, I felt like I’d stepped inside my dream. Clay dust in the air, shelves lined with terracotta pieces waiting to be fired, kilns still warm from the morning’s work. I wandered between the rows, pulling ideas from my notebook into real life: what if we increased the size of this platter? How about trying a matte glaze on that bowl? We experimented right there in the factory—testing shapes and stamping Casa Zuma’s mark. I was in my flow state: dreaming, creating, following threads of curiosity.

And yet, none of it was random. I’d been carrying this idea quietly all year—sketching, journaling, adding it to my vision board, talking it over with our team. I’d already been preparing, even if I didn’t realize it. Which is why, when the opportunity appeared, I recognized it.

You could call it luck, but I think it’s what happens when your preparation and your yes collide at the right time.

How to Be Lucky

When you think about it, luck rarely shows up as a lightning bolt out of the blue. More often, it happens when a dream you’ve been quietly carrying meets an opportunity you might have missed if you weren’t paying attention.

“Luck” is about three things: paying attention, preparing before the moment arrives, and being willing to say yes when it does. Looking back, every so-called lucky break in my life has followed that pattern, and Casa Zuma CLAY was no different. I’d been sketching ideas and talking about dinnerware with my team for months. So when the chance to go to a ceramics factory in Mexico presented itself, of course, that dream was top of mind. I could see it—so I could step into it.

There’s a saying that luck favors the prepared. I think it also favors the curious—the ones who stay open enough to recognize possibility, even when it comes disguised as a random conversation, an unplanned trip, or a risky yes.

When the Invitation Doesn’t Come

But not every dream arrives through an invitation. Sometimes, we have to create the opportunity for ourselves.

It’s easy to spend years waiting for someone else to give us permission to pursue what we want—an official role or an invitation to the table. But I’ve learned that creative courage often looks like building your own table. Making the phone call. Hosting the gathering. Starting before you feel “ready.”

Steve Jobs once said:

“Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”

I don’t have a formal background in product design. And it would be easy to let that stop me from creating for Casa Zuma, assuming I lacked some type of expertise or education. But I trust that my years of hosting and curating spaces, and my passion for ceramics and setting a beautiful table, give me a valuable point of view. It’s that perspective that shaped Casa Zuma CLAY—not just another plate, but vessels for slow meals, soulful gatherings, and connection.

Your Permission Slip

We all have this unique point of view that’s been shaped by our own experiences—no one else can bring exactly what you can bring.

So instead of waiting for someone else’s stamp of approval, what if you started with just one small step forward? Write down the ideas that keep tugging at you. Share a dream with someone you trust. Say yes to the unexpected invitation. Or create the opportunity yourself when the door doesn’t appear.

God is always weaving opportunities into our lives. And when we pay attention and choose to step into them, those random moments can be the ones that change everything.

Your Creative Courage Toolkit

If you’re ready to start creating your own creative opportunities, here are a few practices that help me stay open to them:

1. Capture the sparks. Keep a running list of “wouldn’t it be cool if…” ideas in your phone.

2. Voice your dreams early. Share what excites you before it feels polished—saying it out loud strengthens trust in yourself.

3. Say yes to what lights you up. Follow the invitations that spark excitement, even if they don’t feel strategic.

4. Stay genuinely curious - Ask questions, learn how others think, and let those connections spark new ideas.

5. Follow the thread - Nurture relationships with people you find interesting—without needing an agenda.

If this story sparked something in you, pass it on. Share this post with a friend who's been talking about their dreams but hasn't taken the first step. And if you’re curious—you can shop Casa Zuma CLAY now to see how this dream came to life.

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*photos by Michelle Nash