Michelle Andres Writes ~ Hopelessly deep thinker, frighteningly keen observer, discerning feeler and Jesus-loving, imperfect human storyteller … at your service.

Dream catchers.

THE RIDER
Bronze, Patina and Native Wood
21″ x 63″ x 5.25″, 2014
By Holly Wilson

They’re those lovely, circular, Native American mandalas with the woven centers.

Legend has it they catch your dreams. Folklore tells us, they filter the content and only the good dreams are delivered to the dreamer. Good dreams slip through the hole in the center of the circle and slide down the feathers to be effortlessly deposited in the dreamer’s head. Bad dreams get caught in the webbing…ceasing to exist. Finito.

I suspect I need a dream catcher without the holes. My dream catcher might need to look more like…well…a drum. My dreams, also known as ideas, often, slip through, surfing the wisps of air…lost in the breeze. They are never seen or heard from again. Perhaps I could find my dreams on a milk carton. I should look there. (click to Tweet)

I have plenty of ideas…but there isn’t a “catcher.” Like, Lewis Carroll’s, Alice in Wonderland, “sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” The problem is, I don’t remember them. Throughout this week there must have been at least a half-dozen blog topics that traipsed across my mind, tickling my imagination with their compelling content…then…

Nada.

I know I’m not alone.

The busyness of life can leave us fallow. (click to Tweet) It’s not that we don’t have inspirational thoughts and ideas, NO! We simply permit “real life demands” to yank our imagination in the direction of “responsible reality” and the ideas slip away – VANISH! Pity.

This phenomenon is not specific to artists, because, believe it or not, all work is creative. I remember working with executives about 5 years ago on this very topic. I gave them permission, insisting they gaze out the window, take some quiet time to get ahead of the issues on the horizon. They were urged to find suitable, proactive solutions to all sorts of event and concerns. I encouraged them to value their ideas, those crazy thoughts – those inklings and notions can be priceless. We need to gaze at the clouds. We need some SPACE.

And a little notebook.

You have one, don’t you? Or the “notes” feature on your cell phone? I have both. Seems I’ve forgotten to take advantage of them this week. Small notebooks are dream catchers…they’re helpful tools for accessing and honoring your muse.

As a matter of fact, just through the exercise of writing this has prompted recollections of some of the topics I’d forgotten. Now, I’m ahead of the curve for next week. Don’t worry – they’re safely logged into my little book.

Catch Your Dreams,

I’d like to thank my friend, Artist Holly Wilson, for generously providing the image of her sculpture, “The Rider,” to art up this blog. Holly is a sculptor whose Native American heritage gives her a leg up with storytelling and (I’m guessing) dream catching. Holly shared the story about this sculpture (see below). For more about Holly, or her work, check here and check out Urban Indian 5.

Holly and her daughter were taking a walk and found the stick used in the sculpture. Together, they made up a story. (I paraphrase)

 A young girl playing outside hears a rustling in the bushes. She finds and dragon, with a long body and tail. The dragon asks, “Can you see me? Only my rider can truly see me.” The girl replies, “Yes.” The child rides the dragon through the skies the rest of the afternoon. Her mother looks out a window and sees the girl playing with a stick. Everyone’s experience is uniquely their own!

Thus, “The Rider” by Holly Wilson was born.

Michelle Andres is a coach, writer and artist who champions others to follow the path less traveled; the path that leads straight to their joyful hearts.♥ Contact her for a gentle hand holding or a swift ass kicking.

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