How did I achieve my creative dream?
Being home for several months on sick leave and having to mainly rest, I went back to my roots and begun to accept who I had been and who I was now.
✅ NOTE DOWN DREAMS. I observed my dreams. From every dream, another door opened. When the theme repeated itself, I knew that I had to face a person, a memory, an event or a condition.
I made notes about my dreams and intuitive flashes like Sherlock Holmes looking at clues at a crime scene. Following patterns that had repeated themselves throughout my life.
✅ VISUALIZE. If you do not recall dreams, use, e.g., an association of images, what they bring to mind.
✅ SHARE. Instead of ‘holding it in,’ as I had for years, I sought out two trusted persons I could share my thoughts with. Every time I shared an issue, a memory or a dream I received a new angle to consider.
✅ ACCEPT THE TRUTH. When I learned a truth, it was as if a doorway opened up in my soul. The truth was staring me right in the eye. There was nowhere to turn or run.
✅ FACE YOUR FEARS. In the past, I had slammed the doors shut. Now I dove into the deep end. I looked at the memories in a new light and puzzled out how to heal them. You do not have to ‘talk your past to death.’ Facing the past is about facing fear, accepting the cause and doing something about it.
✅ OPEN DOORS. Every time I hit a roadblock in the visual creation of ‘The Dreaming Doors’ process, I knew I had another door to open, another soul gateway to explore and accept.
✅ MICRO-BLOG. Four months ago I started creating micro-blogs, short animations, and poetry on Instagram. Each one designed with intuition. Mobile snapshots and video clips of nature and my direct association with the image. I only had to recollect several days of posts to know what my subconscious was dealing with and connect the dots to my next visual for the book.
Using The Digital Ecosystem Of Creation
When I began the actual design phase for my book after such a rough stage, I knew I wanted someone from the artistic world to accompany me. After several months of spending more time on social media, I had come across fantastic and intelligent minds all over the world.
That is how I met Caroline Cunningham, a creative, intuitive, skilled, passionate painter, and writer from Ireland specialized in Authentic Reflexology. Caroline shared my passion for old doorways, and her reflexology blogs were highly regarded in the Ireland Blog Awards in 2015 and 2017. I knew I was in a good company. It may not come as a surprise, that she was a math expert before finding her authentic path. A perfect match for a global telecommunication specialist/artist.
Caroline has been a great sparring partner, and to this date, I confess, we have not once spoken over the phone. We managed to communicate through digital means during the entire book project.
The sources of digital empowerment are limitless! The projects I do are typically created digitally from start to finish. I am careful about copyright aspects and feel that I want to learn each creative process end-to-end.
Get Started
The greatest thing about creative digital projects is that they require very little capital. There are vast amounts of free tools and platforms and ways to express yourself via podcasts, micro-blogs, vimeos, chats, groups, collaboration platforms, etc.
If I was able to accomplish my book project against all the odds, so can you! Keep it simple! Follow your heart. If you need further ideas, it is worth to scan through the ‘100 Art Therapy Exercises’.
If you would like to brainstorm ideas for your creative journey, you know where to find me J.
“Be not afraid, of the door into the unknown. The love and light passed on await you. In time you cross that threshold. Alone. Never without guidance. Only shadows to follow you are the ones you hold on to. Let go.”
~ Maria Lehtman, The Dreaming Doors
A special thank you to the BIZCATALYST 360° Team (Dennis Pitocco, Editor-in-Chief) for their support, inspiration, and patronage in my author’s journey!
Maria Lehtman, as an avid dreamer whose dreams saved her life 3xs I loved your article. It combines being true to self with how we all live and heal differently but dreams can always help. I am sharing your article to my DREAMS THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE FB page.
Thank you very much, Kathleen! I am glad to find a fellow dreamer ;). They are a source of great inspiration and intelligence, much more profound than we give them credit for in standard psychology. I looked up your FB site. I thought of writing a book of dreams – still parked somewhere if/how I’ll do that. Interested in reading your book. 🙂
Maria, we need more authors writing about the importance of dreams and how they can guide us in the waking world. Please do write that dream book so I can read it. Hope you enjoy my book.
Thank you, Kathleen 🙂 – Nice to hear! I am sure I will enjoy your book :)!
Maria, I invite you to post your BIZ Article on Women of Facebook Create on Fridays when I host the Blog/Article Sharing Day. This will get more eyes, comments, & shares on your work. https://www.facebook.com/groups/womencontest/
Thank you for the idea, Kathleen 🙂 I’ll look into the group.
What a wonderful narration of an entire life’s journey through tumult to peace like a roller-coaster ride, Maria! Congratulations on accomplishing the goal, and even that too, with such remarkable finesse! There are so many valid lessons to be learned from your use of imagery, experiences, dreams, and determination.
Thanks a lot for the inspiration!
Thank you so much, Bharat! I never thought I would write this story out. In the end, I felt compelled to do so in case it gave inspiration and encouragement to someone else who was also facing difficult circumstances and wanted to realize a dream or a vision. You are most welcome, and I very much enjoy your positive feedback!