A DREAM COME TRUE.

This is my story of how a literal dream opened the door to a figurative dream...

I am an artist. My (literal) dreams are always vivid. Most of the time they are 'good' dreams, meaning not nightmarish, and not naked.On the dream-o-meter scale of 1-10, I would say my dreams rate a solid 7, each night providing me with an abundance of colorful images and landscapes both odd and familiar.

 Like the Johnny Depp version of Alice in Wonderland, my dream world consists of no logic, strange people, surreal beauty and perfect nonsense. In other words, an artist's paradise.

I don't usually record my dreams. First, because I harbor doubts that anyone could read my dream journal and still take me seriously, and second, because I find such delight and reverence in the creative conduit dreams provide. If I record the dream, it feels like a rerun when I then transfer it to my work.

 The mystery of 'where did THAT come from?' while I am absorbed in the process of painting is truly my place of bliss. It is precious magic when my subconscious prevails in the studio.

But one night several years ago I received a simple message in a dream too powerful to ignore.



In this dream, a graceful winged figure appeared and said to me:

                                                " FEEL THE RADIANCE "
                                                " FEED THE RADIANCE "
                                                " FREE THE RADIANCE "

As she said this, she first held her arms out to her sides ( FEEL)
then she touched her hands to her heart ( FEED - yes, her heart sparkled )
then she raised her arms heavenward ( FREE )

I think I heard majestic music during all this,but I honestly don't remember...if not, there should have been, probably something by Tchaichow  Tchikovs Tkchikows  Handel.

Then she was gone.
(Hey, it was a dream. That's what happens in dreams.)

Anyhow...

I awoke and was SO INFUSED with JOY and PEACE that I wanted to tattoo her message in my heart and mind forever, so I drew a rough sketch and wrote the message down.

I keep the sketch pinned to a bulletin board in my studio where I can reconnect with the message while I work.

THIS DREAM WAS LIFE-ALTERING FOR ME.

Her message 'FREE THE RADIANCE' encouraged me to pursue my passion for art full time. Inspired and unencumbered by concern over what others may think of my work, I painted a series of 14 separate 'Sparkly Heart Angels' that poured forth as soon as I sat down with a blank canvas. I was experiencing the euphoria of her message.

let me repeat those three words above... Unencumbered By Concern - HOLY COW!  the power in that!!!

WOW - fears melted away, and I knew, I just KNEW

 I had found my true path.

To this day, I still feel an immense freedom and profound gratitude for this gift, for this cloak of impermeable love and encouragement.

I named my workspace 'Sparkly Heart Studio', and spend as much time as possible painting and illustrating the happy sparkly visions that dance around inside me.

And like frosting on a cupcake, the clarity gained from simply doing what I love with a RADIANT HEART has brought the unexpected benefit of DIRECTION and PURPOSE. What a gift.