Have you ever awakened from a dream so inspired that you immediately had to write down a new idea for a play, draw a picture, or write a poem? If so, youre not alone. While dreams can be useful for solving problems and sorting priorities, they also have inspired countless artists working in the literary, visual, and performing arts.
The first step, of course, is remembering and recording your dreams. Keep a note pad, drawing pad, or tape recorder (whichever best suits your form of artistic expression) on your nightstand to record the most interesting or creative dreams as soon as you awake. If you rise during the night, record any dreams or dream fragments at that time, too.
TheB4D most important thing to remember when using your dreams as sources of creative inspiration is to write down all the details before you forget them. Save the development of the idea for when youre fully awake. When recording information about your dreams, be sure to include the following: date; descriptive title; underlying theme; characters present (known and unknown); setting; story; and emotions felt.
After your dreams are recorded, you can adapt them for your art in various ways. Obviously not every dream is packed full of artistic genius, but when the rare dream of profound insight and deep revelation does find its way into your nightly mindscreen, youll be ready for it.
To use your recorded dreams to their best advantage, you need to look beneath the surface for combinations of ideas and dream symbols. The dreaming mind has a way of solving problems by combining ideas in unexpected ways. Without the censoring apparatus imposed during the day, your mind is free to explore new connections. Look for these unusual combinations of ideas to find the unifying link. Can that link be adapted for your art?
Next examine the symbols present in your dream. Beyond the literal meaning of words and images, you may find funny, clever, naughty, touching, or terrifying symbols that can be used artistically. Dont be afraid to explore these symbols or use free association to link the symbols to your art.
If youre occasionally able to use dreams to inspire literary (poetry, prose), visual (paintings, sculpture, photography, etc.), and performing arts (film, theater, music, dance, etc.), then youll be in good company. Some of the most famous works of art were inspired by actual dreams or by the process of dreaming. Here are a few of my favorites that you also might want to investigate in your pursuit of artistic excellence:
Poetry and Prose
Kubla Khan, poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Frankenstein, fiction Mary Shelley
Book of Dreams, nonfiction by Jack Kerouac
Paintings
The Dream, 1910 by Henri Rousseau, French
Der Traum (The Dream), 1921 by Max Beckmann, German
Persistance de la Memoire (The Persistence of Memory), 1931 by Salvador Dali, Spanish
El Sueno (The Dream), 1940 by Frida Kahlo, Mexican
Dreamer on the Ark, 1998 by Sakti Burman, Indian
Films
The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming); Family classic, American
Spellbound (1945, Alfred Hitchcock): Thriller, American
Wild Strawberries (1957, Ingmar Bergman): Psychological drama, Swedish
Belle De Jour (1967, Luis Bunuel): Erotic drama, French
Akira Kurosawas Dreams (1990, Akira Kurosawa): Collection of short films, Japanese
56CSo start recording your dreams and adapting them to your artwork. Do it tonight while its still fresh in your mind. Its never too late to let your nightly dreams help your life-long dreams come true.
Copyright 2006 Leslie Halpern
Central Florida entertainment writer Leslie Halpern wrote the book Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science (McFarland & Company), an analysis of representations of sleeping and dreaming in more than 125 movies. She also is the author of Reel Romance. The Lovers Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies (Taylor Trade Publishing), which reviews date movies and suggests romantic ideas inspired by these films. Visit her website at http://home.cfl.rr.com/lesliehalpern/leslie_halpern.htm Both books are available at http://www.Amazon.com and http://www.Barnesandnoble.com
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