May 16

"The interpretation of dreams is a royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind." 

      -Sigmund Freud 

I had a bad case of the Mondays this morning, dragging myself out of bed, into the car, then to class. I blame my blankets for trapping me tight and warm.   Note to self: Perseverance (finals are now in full effect!).

Today was movie day in class and we were given two choices: a documentary on dreams or a film by Akira Kurosawa based on his dreams.  Truthfully I couldn't decide, but I always enjoy Japanese films so I chose the second one.  I don't regret my decision but will definitely be watching the other one. 

I like interpreting my dreams, when I can remember them, that is.  I like the metaphors and symbolism tied to dreams.  A struggle in your dreams can resemble a struggle your waking life.  I always look up dream dictionaries online that give you symbolism for different things, animals, or actions in dreams, and it always amazes me how direct the comparisons can be.  I've recorded some of my most memorable and shocking dreams because I don't want to forget them.

One morning, I tried explaining to my mom that I dreamt I was a strawberry and there was a lion whipping a turtle. She looked at me and laughed, but I will admit, speaking about dreams can be funny.  Telling someone about my dreams has also made me realize situations in my waking life.  About a year ago I used to wake up laughing hysterically.  I read online that it might be the result of me either being overworked or my need for laughter in my waking life.  It turned out to be very true.  

I don't always believe everything I read online, but dreams are always open to your own interpretation.  Hence, they are what you make of them.  Dreams have also given birth to new ideas, inventions, creations, paintings, etc.  The fact that our mind allows us to dream is amazing.  Dreams can take us to another world and do things we can't do in the waking life.  Have you ever woken up crying? Those are the worst dreams, for me.  But it amazes me that when your asleep your body is practically paralyzed, but your mind has full control over your emotions and even the images you see in your mind.  I like it when my dreams are like movies: plot, setting, characters.

All eight of Kurosawa's dreams were portrayed in magnificent ways, all conceptual but left the door wide open for interpretation.  The dreams went in the order depicted: Sunshine Through Rain, Peach Tree, The Blizzard, The Tunnel, Crows, Mt. Fuji in Red, The Weeping Demon, and Village of the Watermills.  I enjoyed "Crows" the most because it brought  many of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings to life, even Van Gogh was in the "dream" ear cut off, while painting in nature.  As I watched the movie, I wondered what thoughts or events could have sparked such dreams like this.

I wonder what I will dream of tonight.  Our homework is to plant our final project (a video on our Creative Process) in our mind before going to bed so that, hopefully, we dream about it.  So planting I will do....

Good night, and happy dreaming to you!