How I Turn My Dreams into Art
Today, I want to take you on a personal journey into my artistic process. Turning dreams into art is a profound and deeply personal practice for me. It's not just about creating beautiful pieces; it's about capturing the meaningful messages that inspire me and translating them onto the canvas.
Let me share with you how my dreams inspire my art and the steps I take to bring these visions to life.
The Seeds of Inspiration: My Dream Journal
It all starts with my dream journal. Every morning, as soon as I wake up, I reach for my journal and pen down the dreams I can remember. This habit helps me capture the vivid imagery and emotions before they fade away. Over time, my dream journal has become a treasure trove of inspiration, filled with symbols, scenarios, and feelings that fuel my creativity.
For instance, I once dreamed of going on a hike. In my dream, the hike wasn't about reaching a destination but about the journey itself. Each bend in the trail revealed stunning vistas of forests, fields of wildflowers, and glimpses of a serene lake. This dream wasn't just a literal scene to paint; it was an embodiment of a concept – enjoying the journey and staying present in the moment. And this concept shows up in a lot of my work. I often paint pathways or roads in my landscapes that take you on a journey through the image.
Interpreting Dreams: Finding the Essence
Interpreting my dreams is a crucial part of the process. I don't usually paint my dreams literally; instead, I focus on the symbols and emotions they evoke. For example, the hike in my dream wasn't just about nature but about the idea of exploration and discovery. I asked myself, what does this journey mean to me? What emotions and themes does it bring up?
Understanding the essence of the dream helps me translate it into a visual narrative. This interpretation phase is deeply personal, as each symbol and scenario holds unique meanings based on my experiences and subconscious mind.
In the above example, the specific hike I dreamed of isn’t a real place and the pieces inspired by didn’t come directly from the dream. But the paintings are based on the idea of taking a walk and focusing on the journey, not the destination. You can’t see over the next hill or around the bend in the road. The moment captured in each painting is just a tiny portion of the bigger event. But the beauty is in the moment.
Sketching the Vision: Bringing Ideas to Paper
Once I've interpreted the dream, I can start to interpret the image in several ways. Sometimes, I just start sketching. I’ll create small thumbnail sketches to work out the idea and compostion; relying on my imagination and intuition. I begin with loose sketches, exploring different compositions and elements. This stage is all about experimentation and letting my creativity flow. These small sketches let me work through multiple versions of the same idea.
Othertimes, I’ll use digital software to compile various reference photos and create a digital moodboard of what I’m inspired by. I often will do this with flowers so I have variations of color and shape to look at while painting.
Another method I use, mostly for my large oil painting, is to use the digital software to create a reference image. I’ll use the software to collage different images together and edit them the way I want so that I have the composition, colors and main ideas worked out before I start working on canvas.
Painting the Dream: Trusting the Process
With a clear vision in mind, I move on to painting. I will start with a loose, messy background of ink, spray paint, collage, etc and trust my intuition as “kill the white” of the canvas. This is where the magic happens. I start with an abstract background, letting colors and shapes emerge intuitively. As I paint, I allow the dream's emotions and themes to guide me. The process is fluid and dynamic, and I often find new inspirations and directions as the painting evolves.
Reflecting and Connecting: The Finished Piece
When the painting is complete, I take time to reflect on it. Each brushstroke, each color choice, is a part of the conversation between my subconscious mind, divine inspiration and the canvas. I hope that viewers can connect with the piece, finding their own meanings and inspirations in the symbols and themes.
Turning dreams into art is a deeply personal and transformative process for me. It's a way to explore my subconscious, co-create with God, and share my journey with the world. I hope that by sharing my process, you feel inspired to explore your own dreams and turn them into art.
If you're interested in delving deeper into dream interpretation and using your dreams as creative inspiration, I invite you to explore my Dream Interpretation Bible Study and Interpretation workbook, available on my website. This resource provides comprehensive insights and practical steps to help you unlock the prophetic potential of your dreams.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where I'll provide a step-by-step guide for you to turn your own dreams into art.
