14th July, 2026

Dreams, Creativity, and the Spirit of Trust

The blank page. Sometimes I dread the blank page.

In 2024, I completed and published, Journey to the Inner Light, The Life and Musical Voyage of Jay Chattaway, Star Trek, Jazz, and Film Composer, a book I had been working on for eight years. Since then, I have published in two of our Washashore Anthologies; once with an essay, and once with a few selections of my poetry. It is now mid-summer 2026 and I continue to ask, “What is next?” in my writing life.

Publishing and performing my poetry to an audience has inspired the poet in me to wake up and revisit that form of creative writing. It was my earliest expression of writing, beginning when I was a teenager. I have hundreds of poems, and I intend to open that box, literally, and explore what lies there. It has been too long since I claimed I am a poet. To prove to myself how serious I am, I signed up for a workshop with Billy Collins at Featherstone Center for the Arts. A brave move on my part considering his stature in the literary world.

But still, I ask, “What is next?” I have dabbled in the idea of memoir. I have begun to write poems again. Should I try fiction?

I have had many starts and stops since 2024 and find myself at a crossroad. This is when I pray and ask for direction to come to me in my dreams.

I have been doing this for several months now. When I awaken and can remember my dream, I quickly write it down. Then I go to Chat GPT and ask it to analyze it through a Jungian lens. I am fascinated by dreams and what they could mean. Carl Jung’s belief that dreams are expressions of the unconscious mind resonates with me as truth. I also believe it is a portal (one way) in which my spirit guides, angels, and/or God, communicates.  Is this also true? Therein lies the spirit of trust. Trust in my inner self. Trust in my intuition. Trust in my belief in the power of prayer.

With that in mind, last night before sleeping, I asked specifically for direction in my writing. I have been feeling, not only lost, but lacking imagination. I won’t share the details of my dream. I will share some very meaningful insights that came from analyzing it. Some may seem obvious but sometimes we writers need to be reminded. These are a few quotes from Chat GPT’s analysis of my dream through a Jungian perspective.

“You cannot command imagination to appear because you have decided today is writing day.”

BOOM! That feels like that comment was made expressly to me. I admit I have been trying to force the creative muse to show up.

“Inspiration has its own life.”

“Instead of trying to manufacture meaning, remain near dreams, imagination, memory, emotion, symbols.”

“Perhaps your creative work has more value than your conscious mind currently grants it.”

And the final analysis…

“Considering you asked specifically for direction, the unconscious may be saying: Your creative work does not move forward through worrying about whether it is progressing. It moves through staying close to the shoreline between conscious and unconscious life, recognizing the value you already possess, and investing that value into what is already developing.”

Food for thought for all writers.