Transforming My Dream Messages into Art that Healed my Heart

In my previous post, I talked about dealing with grief around the loss of my pet, Raspberry, and how my art practice helped me process those feelings. In this post I’ll be talking about the first piece I made, days after her death, that set me on the path of healing through my art. I often receive dream messages while I sleep. These messages serve as inspiration for my work, which is true for this piece as well.

Observing the Messages in my Dreams

I often receive messages in my dreams. Not all of the time, but if I’m open to it and paying attention, things pop up. Sometimes the messages come in the form of symbols, imagery, spoken words or phrases, or simply from the “plot” of the dream. I say “plot” because my dreams are often very cinematic and feel like I’m in a movie. The messages are not always clear, but sometimes they’re very obvious. It all depends on what messages I’m getting and how I receive it.

For example, once I dreamt of 3 crows; each one was holding a stick in its beak. This reminded me of the Three of Wands card in the Tarot, so I took that as a message. Another time, 3 affirmations came to me in my dream, so I turned those into artwork you can view here.

I dream vividly. My brain processes my emotions, my life experiences, random stuff I looked at before going to sleep, and more, in my dreams. Sometimes it’s terrifying, sometimes it’s delightful, and sometimes I don’t even realize the significance of the message until much later.

She Knew The Way

I have no idea when, but several months before Raspberry’s death, I had a dream about her. The dream was set in a post-apocalyptic setting (as my dreams often are) and I was trying to get away from something that wanted to hurt me. It could have been zombies, the government, disease, who knows! But I was trying to find my way through destroyed buildings, desperate to stay safe.

Then, Raspberry appeared to me. She didn’t speak, but I knew that I was supposed to follow her. I followed her through dark tunnels and debris, when we came upon a portal. I didn’t know where this portal led to, but I knew that it was a safe place.

At the time, the dream felt poignant but I couldn’t place why, so it receded into my memory. However, soon after Raspberry died, I remembered the dream and realized what it had meant. Raspberry knew where to go to be safe and she wanted me to know this. She was gone, but she was in safe place so I didn’t need to worry about her anymore. Remembering this dream brought me so much comfort.

Portal to a Safe Place

A Portal To A Safe Place (2022)

An airy, glowing, blue orb shines from within as it floats inside an expansive dark space filled with distant stars. Light refracts around the orb and its reflection is shown in what appears to be a dark pool of water. Inside the orb, a burst of light is seen in the center, surrounded by blue sky and white clouds.

This is my interpretation of what I saw in my dream. This is where I believe Raspberry is now. Looking at it brings me a sense of calm. It’s A Portal To A Safe Place, and I feel safe looking at it, knowing one day I will join her there.

Adding Movement & Sound

Creating this piece was so incredibly healing for my heart. When I made it, I also wanted to add movement or animation to it. I’m not the best animator, but I did it anyway! Every time I try something that my creative spirit wants, I honor myself and my voice.

I also made music to go with the animated art. Although I have played many musical instruments in my life, I am by no means a composer. The music that I made for this piece is an expression of the pain in my heart at the time. It’s not the most amazing piece of music, but making it was the cathartic experience that I needed.

I put everything together in a video that you can watch below. This video is not the most polished piece, but I am thrilled to share it regardless.

Do you ever receive dream messages? Where do you think the portal goes?

I appreciate you joining me as I traverse works that I have created, even when the themes are on the heavy side. Making art is a healing process for me. I hope that you could find a little bit of healing here, too.

See you on the next post!

With love,
Martina

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