Using a dream journal for creative work

A dream fragment can be a starting point for a sketch, a scene, or a melody. You can use its texture without solving its meaning.

Save the original

Capture the dream before developing it. Keep the original entry so later inventions do not replace your memory of it.

Choose one detail

Try a doorway opening into water, an unfamiliar voice, or the color of a sky. Small details can be easier to work with than the whole plot.

Translate it into a medium

Sketch the space, write ten lines of dialogue, or make a rhythm from the movement. Let the result depart from the dream.

Keep private material private

Before sharing work, consider whether it includes recognizable people or details you want to keep to yourself. Share the finished piece only when you are comfortable.

Make room for your next dream

Dream Window brings voice recording and a collection of dream symbols to iPhone. Get a launch notification, or explore the Dream Atlas.