A woman brings a dream in which she discovers a variety of studio spaces in the basement of her family home. As a child her family greatly encouraged her creativity–she was provided with all manner of materials, lessons, supplies and freedom to play. In her current life, however, she struggles to make space and time for her artistic side. The dream reminds her of that earlier time (when she did, in fact, have studio space in the family basement) and offers a hint that she will need to become her own supportive parental figure if she is to actively nurture an artistic life.
As I listen to women’s dreams I can’t help noticing how frequently they seem to insist on the value of a creative life. Perhaps there is something about the creative process–with its rhythms of conception, gestation, and birth—that closely parallels a woman’s experience of life in a female body. Perhaps, mirroring the goddesses of ancient times, the feminine self is innately creative. Or perhaps women, even more than men, suffer from caretaker’s disease, nurturing others talents and skills while overlooking their own. Continue Reading »