Dreams and writing

It was 1994, and I was awoken from a dream by a voice saying that I would write ‘the beautiful birth book’. I can tell you, almost twenty years later I can still hear that voice clear as day. But what was really unnerving was that I was not remotely into the parenting world. In fact, I wasn’t even interested in having children, and I certainly wasn’t in any sort of relationship that would consciously bring children into the world. 

I’d been working as a journalist in the animal welfare field. At the time of my dream, I had just moved from New Zealand to the UK to work as a media officer for Compassion in World Farming. I stumbled out of bed with the voice still strong in my head, and something guided me towards the New Age bookstore in Petersfield, Hampshire, where I was living. I don’t know if the shop is still there, but it was called The Open Window, and it was an oasis from the world outside. I can still hear the gentle music and smell the scent of incense.

And then the strangest thing happened. Two books on waterbirth literally fell off the shelf before me. Two books! I bought them immediately and went back to my flat to read them. Utterly charmed, I entered this new world with great curiosity, and it wasn’t long till other books came into my hands, such as Dolphins, Telepathy and Underwater birthing.

I never did write The Beautiful Birth Book, but I feel that when I wrote The Birthkeepers: reclaiming an ancient tradition I was writing the book from my dream.

Oftentimes I’ve dreamt of ideas for blogs, and recently I dreamt very clearly that I should write a book on being a stay-at-home mother. The words poured out of me the following morning, and though I’ve been side-tracked a bit since the idea, I’ve now written more than half of it. Apron Strings: how I found joy as a stay-at-home mother will be published later this year.

The first draft of my novel, Bluey’s Café (publishing later this year), ‘poured’ out of me in five days….and by five days, I mean five mornings… That is, writing before dawn and continuing until the family woke up. Clearly I need to work on the first draft, but it was a good example of being ‘tuned in’ to another energy.

I truly thought I only had one novel in me, but then the idea and plot line for a third novel came to me very recently ~ in a dream. Thank you Universe! It sure makes things easier when ideas are delivered in this way.

I’ve always been an active dreamer ~ except for the early years of parenting when I was majorly sleep deprived. Dreams invite us to places we would never go to in daily life, and I’m so grateful to have this resource in my writing life.