The joy of dreams

How much can we learn from our dreams?

Of course there are many theories around dreams and dreaming and the whole concept of our dreams being a window to our subconscious thinking.

But of what use are they to us as creative people? How can we tap into the wondrous, often abstract collisions of images, sounds and ideas we experience?

Many great artists cite dreams as being absolutely key in providing inspiration for their work. Maybe for some it was just seeing something different or so removed from what they experience in their waking life that provided that inspirational spark, that catalyst for a new piece of work, or re-inspired and energised them in resuming a current piece.

How many have claimed to see visions in dreams that have led them to them otherwise seemingly unobtainable breakthroughs or insights?

When we recall some of the most memorable dreams we've had, it can provide us once again with an excitement and passion, a glimpse of what is possible in our imagination.

And if we can imagine something, literally if we can "make images" of something in our head, then surely we can go some way to re-creating this in our lives, whether for a particular piece of work, or for the way our lives are led in general.

One way we could begin to draw more from our dreams is to keep a type of Dream Journal next to our beds. Whenever you wake after a particularly dramatic, exciting or memorable dream, quickly jot down the main ideas in your Journal.

Some practice may be required before you're trained enough to write in the dark and to record the dreams in sufficient detail so you can remember and fill in the rest when you wake again. Persist with it though, and you may find you've unlocked one of the richest possible veins of inspiration and ideas you'll ever know...