Dream On

Dear Dreamer,

Nov 02, 2025

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This week’s newsletter is inspired by the Stories from the Jukebox song prompt, Dream On, by Aerosmith. Stories from the Jukebox is my other Substack publication, where each week myself and other writers share prose inspired by song. And not only do I have multiple essays and short stories published there, but if you look in the comments and Curtain Call posts you’ll find a treasure trove of stories from some of the best writers on this platform!

This’ll technically be my second submission for this week’s prompt — I never intended on publishing this. But as it quite often seems, events this week have prompted me to alter my plans.

This is a letter to you my precious dreamer — don’t get discouraged, I believe in you.

Dear Dreamer,
I’m writing this to someone who is very important to me — someone I love very much. I’m writing this to you.
I know that you are disappointed in these results, and that’s okay. It’s okay to feel discouraged today, those are normal feelings — just don’t stay there too long. This is just one more obstacle that you must overcome to get to where you want to be. The obstacle is the way — turn it into fuel for your fire. Keep dreaming, and never lose sight of your goal. But you must keep working too.
The dream is just the beginning — it only points you in the direction. After you’ve identified the dream, the goal. That’s when determination and hard work come in. Because yes, anything is possible — but only if you take action. Just dreaming won’t get you anywhere.
I didn’t intend on writing you this letter, I’d already made my submission to this week’s Stories from the Jukebox song writing prompt, Dream On, by Areosmith. But as I studied the history of the song, I ran across this quote from Steven Tyler in, Grammy Awards Magazine, that reminded me of you. It said-
“People ask me all the time what ‘Dream On’ is all about. It’s simple. It’s about dreaming until your dreams come true. It’s about the hunger and desire and ambition to be somebody that Aerosmith felt in those days. You can hear it in the grooves because it’s there.”
So Dream On — but don’t stop there, ambition will only get you so far.
Get to work, and when the going gets tough — because it will, don’t let it whip ya. Dig a little deeper — you’re tougher than you know. You’ve got this! 💪
Dream until your dreams come true✨
With love, MJ

Don't Let It Whip Ya

MJ Polk

August 31, 2025

I think that more often than not, that just by having the, “Don’t let it whip ya,” attitude—we have already won. We’re then just waiting for the circumstances to catch up.

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I’ve working on poetry quite a bit lately — it’s not something that comes easy to me. Not like my stories and essays at all — they require very little ‘work’. The biggest obstacle to writing them seems to be time — once I make it, the words pour out onto the page. But poetry is different — I wouldn’t say that I experience writer’s block, I just, it just doesn’t flow. I get in my head a little bit and over think every word. Maybe I’m just being hard on myself, I mean I have no formal training whatsoever. Or maybe it just ain’t my thing? Either way is fine, but I ain’t scared to try. And I’ll keep working at — I ain’t gone let it whip me! 😉 Got any tips or pointers? Lmk in the comments, I’m open to suggestions.