About a month ago, The Dreaming I v. 2 was published. I can say without a doubt it’s the most excited I’ve been about anything I’ve created. My deepest hope is that this journal can spread far and wide a truly inspire individuals to begin a relationship with their dreams that lasts a lifetime.
I can also say without a doubt, and probably because of that excitement, I have had a lot of fear come up around really sharing it and putting it out there. For example, I have been planning to write this blog post since the journal was published. But better late than never, right?
Let me start by saying I’ve been so touched by all of you who’ve supported the journal so far. I think in a way it has also made me almost shy. My dreams for this dream journal are scary big!
But when one of you reaches out about the journal, I remember that in my heart this is a project focused on engaging with all of your dreamers out there and working collaboratively to create a tool that can stimulate and nurture and honor the dream in all of its forms. And that just gets me so freakin excited!!
Where It All Started
I don’t know exactly when I first had the idea of creating a dream journal, but I know my interest was especially peaked when I was creating Dream Wisely 2018 with my dear friend and collaborator Render Allumaya.
When we created that planner, we included an entire dream workbook. I realized then I definitely wanted to create a journal just for dreams. At the time, Render and I planned to create it together.
We had an awesome meeting at a coffee shop in January of 2018 and decided to have our shared love of astrology inspire the dream journal. The thought was that we would create exercises for dreams prompted by the 12 signs of the zodiac. I walked away from the meeting full of ideas for the journal.
Then life got into full swing. Render was moving from New Orleans to North Carolina, and most of her energy was focused in the move. Render encouraged me to create the journal myself as we began dreaming the next version of Dream Wisely.
It felt difficult to find the time–by March of 2018 I was quite unexpectedly stewarding 111 acres of rural property in Mississippi. But in late May, I was called for jury duty. I decided I would spend my time in the jury pool creating the journal. By the end of my two weeks, I had created all of the exercises that you find in the journal today.
Publishing The Dreaming I v.1
I created a bunch of the exercises by the end of May. And then they sat there until the end of July. That time was probably the hardest part of creating the journal. I knew what I needed to do: write an email to my list and raise money to design and print copies of the journal. That was the next step. But I was afraid to. What if nobody wanted it? Then I wouldn’t be able to make it. And I couldn’t bear the idea of this journal not existing. I was stuck.
I wish I could tell you what finally allowed me to muster the courage to send that email. I think I was just in so much internal turmoil around the fear of failure that I would have done anything to change it. And so I finally did send out that email.
And I got an awesome response! Truly a very sweet response. Dear family and friends from elementary school through college purchased right away. Old friends from all of the different dreamwork retreats and events I’ve participated in, old dreamers that I’ve had the privilege to work with. And even some folks that I deeply admire! Wow!!!
If you were one of those people that bought the first version of the journal, I want you to know how deeply grateful I am to you for doing that. It gave me a sense of hope and support that I really needed at that time. The message was clear: this was something people were truly interested in! I needed to keep going.
The Dreaming I v2.22
I got to work on finishing the design for version 1 and sending it off to the printers. I was so eager to complete the project and just have the journal in my hand I kind of rushed the design process.
I say this because when the first book arrived, even though I was excited about it, I immediately knew I wanted to completely redesign it the next time I ordered the journal. I loved the content, but I knew the design needed to be sharper in order to have the journal become what I dreamt it could be.
A friend of mine and author coach Scott Andrew James gave me a big boost at this juncture for giving me the push I needed to get that complete. He reached out to me after I gave him a copy of the 1st edition and told me the steps he thought I should take to get the book further out into the world. One of his biggest messages was, hire a professional designer. I’m so grateful that he was willing to talk with me.
As soon as I heard that, I knew he was right, and I got to work finding someone to help. I could not have been happier working with Mark Lawrence, who designed both the cover and the entire inside of the journal. He did a phenomenal job of listening to my vision and creating something I am so super excited about. I’m so grateful!
Fast forward over 3 weeks of back and forth with the publishers where I cried on the phone to call center operators in India two times, and the second version of the book was finally approved on Jan 20th, the day of the full lunar eclipse, and arrived on my doorstep Jan 26th.
The Dreaming I in the Future
If you want to learn more about the journal and how it all works, I’ve got lots of info and pictures when you click here. But as I reflect on the journey the book has made so far and I can’t help but think about what it might be able to do moving forward. I know that beginning to pay attention to my dreams was a key to my path of reconnecting with my soul. I truly don’t know where I would be today if it wasn’t for my dreams.
And I can recognize something else: it is through my commitment to the path dreams offer that I have seen so many of my personal dreams manifest in my life. This past year or so has been an especially potent one in that regard, and this journal is itself a testament to that. More than anything else, it is my sincere prayer that this journal reaches as many dreamers out there as possible, and that when they receive their journal they are inspired to dive deeper into their dream realm and reclaim the wisdom available there.
Are you ready for your copy?
From now until March 1st, when you purchase The Dreaming I for $30, on my website you’ll receive access to The Dreaming I workshop for free! After that, I’ll no longer be selling the journal from my site, but you will be able to buy The Dreaming I workshop for $22.
Or you can pick one up at one of these locations:
New Orleans
Pennsylvania
Washington
California
