Justine Hanin
We’ve got our very good friend Justine Hanin with us for this week’s Dreamos Round Table, and we’re absolutely stoked about it. Justine’s a designer, illustrator and word enthusiast building her dreams and impacting community in Fort Worth, TX.
As a creative director and strategy consultant, Justine helps projects come to life while also empowering artists to do the same through practical strategy. Through her own passion projects, she uses visual art and the written word to make a real difference in the lives of others.
Justine’s positive outlook and inspiring perspective has led the way in every step of faith she's made. We know you’ll be encouraged as you hear more from her heart, story, and pursuit.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
I am currently honored to serve the house of God as a creative director in an army of anointed, passionate creatives at a thriving church plant in Texas. Definitely a recent/new dream coming to reality, but one I’ve been led to in a journey of consistent submission to God’s dreams for me, rather than my own.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
I had a lot of my own dreams, some would call them selfish dreams. I want to write books, make art, art direct for a fancy agency, run my own business, travel all the time - you know, the quintessential creative’s dream. When I stopped asking God for the things I wanted, and I started to ask God, “hey, what are YOUR dreams for me?” He quickly changed my heart to align with His and began to speak new dreams and paths into my plan. Then, when I allowed Him to redirect my steps, all of my own silly selfish dreams began to come true one by one. He’s a Good Guy.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
The best way I can answer this question is by pondering my first trip to Disney World lol. Stick with me. From the moment my feet dropped from ferry to floor of the Magic Kingdom, I was reminded of the sheer power that dreaming up impossible things can have. While prancing through the streets of “the most magical place on earth” you are constantly reminded by the speakers and cast members that “it was all started by a mouse.” I find it ironic that a mouse is one of the smallest mammals known to man.
I do not believe that Walt Disney’s dreams were as small as a mouse by any means…on the contrary, I believe that Mr. Disney engaged in some of the most daring and wild dreaming imaginable. However, when compared to the empire that has come from them, the dreams themselves do seem pretty small, don’t they? I think we tend to forget what power a few dreams can have, especially when in the right hands. See, Disney trusted solely in his dreams. He said “if you can dream it, you can do it” and “have faith in your dreams and someday [they’ll come true.]" Well, my trust is in the Lord…the maker of heaven, earth, mice…even the ability to dream big dreams was given to me by someone far bigger.
If a few wild dreams in the hands of one man can create "magic," what can my dreams do in the hands of God? Or…what about God’s dream for me? I believe that the wildest dreams and deepest desires of my heart are mouse-sized compared to what God can do with them. All it takes is a little fairy dust faith. Matthew 9:29 “According to your faith, let it be done for you."
What encouragement would you give someone who’s going after their dream?
Have you ever heard that saying “Jump and the net will catch you?” Or “Leap and the net will appear?” Well, personally, I think that’s bogus. I’ve “jumped" a lot of times in life. Sometimes, the net did appear - in the form of family, loyal friends, miracles even. But other times, there was no net. All there was was darkness and falling and hoping, then finally - ouch. That didn’t feel the best.
What I mean by “jumping” is taking a big risk. Burning the safety nets around you and taking a running dive off a cliff of wonder with no idea how it’s going to work out or what the heck you’re going to land in. People think jumpers are crazy. But sometimes, God asks you to. And there isn’t really a “net will catch you” guarantee. But you jump anyway - because if God is asking you to jump, then off of that cliff in the mid-air is actually the safest place for you.
So jump, and the net might catch you… or maybe it won’t. But let the things that need to be broken in your life break in the fall, let God mend you together stronger, and then allow God to ask you to jump again. This is the epitome of faith.