We all have dreams and they can be a great source of inspiration. I'm not talking about the wishes we have for lives but those nocturnal dreams we have when sleeping. They come unbidden to us and often are gone before our feet hit the floor.
Scientists are at a loss to explain them: why we have them or what creates them. Still, many of the greatest innovations of our day came to their creators in dreams.
Music, including Paul McCartney's "Yesterday", and great works of fiction like Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," have both been attributed to dreams. If these works can be based in dreams, then what can we mine from the depths of our own dreams?
The best way to begin is by keeping a note pad and a pen beside your bed. When you wake in the morning, write down your impressions and any memories you have of your dreams. Do not wait until you've brushed your teeth or had your first cup of coffee as dreams are fleeting and will be gone by then.
Just reach for the paper and pen and begin writing, even if you feel as though you are still half asleep. You can even do this if you waken during the night. As long as the dream is fresh, write down whatever you can remember about it.
Later, when you look back at your notes, you may have little understanding of what you had been dreaming. Or, you may discover that you have touched on a spark of inspiration that will lead you to some new work of art, piece of music or bit of prose.
Even negative dreams can have value.
Consider the case of Mary Shelley's dream. Frankenstein may not have been the most enjoyable dream she ever had but it ignited her imagination and she penned one of the classic pieces of literature of all time. Never dismiss a dream out of hand. Sometimes, when you look at it in the light of day, you will find that the answer to a problem you had been trying to resolve is looking back at you.
The randomness of dreams is a benefit to the creative mind. There are no surefire ways to control what you will dream about or how the dream will end. This leaves your creative mind open to endless possibilities. Take advantage of those possibilities and you may find your life improved by this wellspring of inspiration.
Scientists are at a loss to explain them: why we have them or what creates them. Still, many of the greatest innovations of our day came to their creators in dreams.
Music, including Paul McCartney's "Yesterday", and great works of fiction like Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," have both been attributed to dreams. If these works can be based in dreams, then what can we mine from the depths of our own dreams?
The best way to begin is by keeping a note pad and a pen beside your bed. When you wake in the morning, write down your impressions and any memories you have of your dreams. Do not wait until you've brushed your teeth or had your first cup of coffee as dreams are fleeting and will be gone by then.
Just reach for the paper and pen and begin writing, even if you feel as though you are still half asleep. You can even do this if you waken during the night. As long as the dream is fresh, write down whatever you can remember about it.
Later, when you look back at your notes, you may have little understanding of what you had been dreaming. Or, you may discover that you have touched on a spark of inspiration that will lead you to some new work of art, piece of music or bit of prose.
Even negative dreams can have value.
Consider the case of Mary Shelley's dream. Frankenstein may not have been the most enjoyable dream she ever had but it ignited her imagination and she penned one of the classic pieces of literature of all time. Never dismiss a dream out of hand. Sometimes, when you look at it in the light of day, you will find that the answer to a problem you had been trying to resolve is looking back at you.
The randomness of dreams is a benefit to the creative mind. There are no surefire ways to control what you will dream about or how the dream will end. This leaves your creative mind open to endless possibilities. Take advantage of those possibilities and you may find your life improved by this wellspring of inspiration.
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