I believe that believing in things that aren’t real makes them real.

You can read that again if you need to. I needed to and I wrote it.

You might be vigorously shaking your head right now but let me give you an example taken from my month 11 post of going full time.

There have been a few moments in this last year where I have been filled with self doubt and the thought of going back to a safe and steady 9-5 seemed like the most rational choice. But then I tell myself I’m creative enough to keep going. I tell myself I’m imaginative enough to stick with it and figure it all out. Then sometimes I tell myself, “You’re a left-handed Sagittarius, you were meant to do crazy things!”

I don’t really believe in astrology and I know there is no hard proof that left handed people are more creative. But when I tell myself that I’m a left-handed December baby and I’m destined to do bold and brave things because of it, it shapes my reality just as if those things were true in the first place.

One of the things I wish so much was true is The Doctor. You might be wondering, “Doctor, Doctor WHO?” To which I would reply, “YES, GIRL, THAT DOCTOR!!!”

Doctor Who is a show about an alien Time Lord who travels using a time machine called the Tardis while accompanied by a beautiful and perfectly imperfect human companion.

I’m a solid Whovian. I fantasize about hopping into that blue box and flying away to far off lands, saving whole civilizations and getting that occasional side eye grin from the cutest David Tennant. Sadly, he’s not real… but he does shape a lot of who I am and what I do and that, in the best way I know how, makes him real.

I was cruising Facebook one afternoon and someone had posted a question in a group. She asked, “What do you do when you just feel in a funk? Like you’re not good enough. Like nothing you do matters.” My heart went out to her because, yes, we’ve all felt this and it’s a rough place to be. As I was reading through the comments, I thought of my favorite Doctor Who quote and I looked it up. As I was typing it out, I started to cry. It was just such a good quote. I don’t think I’ve ever watched that particular scene and not cried. It says:

Hey, do you mind if I tell you a story? One you might not have heard. All the elements in your body were forged many, many millions of years ago in the heart of a far away star that exploded and died. That explosion scattered those elements across the desolations of deep space. After so, so many millions of years these elements came together to form new stars and new planets. And on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart forming shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings. Until, eventually, they came together to make you. You are unique in the universe. There is only one of you and there will never be another.

I left the comment and went on with my day and later that night, someone had replied to my comment saying, “This literally brought me to tears.”

Do you remember those moments in Friends when someone would say something and Monica would shout “I KNOW!!!!!!” Like all big and loud? That was me.

I put that quote on the bottom of every page of my website. I hope people will be moved by it and I hope it makes The Doctor that much more real.

When I started selling art prints, I put an insert into each sleeve describing the print and on the back of the insert, I put another Doctor Who quote. When I started selling enamel pins, I did the same thing on the back of each card.

The Doctor is also pretty cryptic so since there are 13 different Doctors throughout the series, instead of citing “The Doctor”, I just put the number below in the hopes that someone will be intrigued enough to Google it and find the show that way.

I wish The Doctor was real. So I make him as real as I can. I use elements from the show that inspire me to inspire others. I try to live my life with kindness and empathy. I try to not take myself too seriously. I try to create magic moments in my business and in my personal relationships. This is the best way I know how to make him a little more real.

What do you wish was real? What are some things you can do or experiences you can create to help bring it into reality? I’d love to hear from you on this topic and if you’re a total Dreamer like me, girl, I’m just gonna plug this new pin that just came in right here! I made this one for my Arizona sisters in creativity! <3

Denise Karis is an Arizona photographer who enjoys musicals, Doctor Who and breakfast burritos. IG @denisekaris

Thanks to Jeremy Thomas via Unsplash for the galaxy photos!