Dreamy Ideas

There is a sweet spot for creatives while dreaming. It occurs somewhere between just awke and barley asleep. Your dreams are vivid and you have a certain measure of control. This level of awareness in dreams is called lucid dreaming.

Often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream. -Aristotle

Many famouse folks have taken advantage of this state.  The point is everyone can be creative, it’s a muscle to exercise. So if you wish you were more creative this is something to work at.

E B White’s description of how Stuart Little came to him as he slept, complete with his hat, his cane, and his brisk manner. ‘I was deeply touched and felt that I was not free to change him into a grasshopper or a wallaby.'” –The New Yorker

Here is one process used by many in the past:

Get a couple marbles or peice of silverware to hold. Place a tin pan on the floor next to your bed. Lay down and position your hand so that when you fall asleep you will drop the marbles and they will fall into the pan. The noise will jolt you awake enough to stay in the dream state. Then before you fall asleep for good you have to write it down, you won’t remember later if you don’t. For more ways to try this check out Wiki How.

Once you’ve gotten the jist of this process down you will begin to do it organically.

For me it’s usually mornings as my body is waking up for the day. You won’t need the tin and marbles just lots of paper for your new ideas. Some of my writing friends do this without realizing it’s a technique, you may be one of them, which is so cool.

A problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it. -John Steinbeck

On my last lucid dream, I awoke with two characters and I raced to my notepad to write as much as I could as the thoughts faded. Keep notepaper close for this reason alone. Now I’ve fully brainstormed my world, added characters and created my plot. All that’s left to do is write it out and edit. Neither easy, so wish me luck!

Happy Questing!