Recycled Dreams

Dreams.  We all have them.  They range from the mundane to the fantastical, the comforting to the horrifying, one-off fantasies to recurrent themes we cannot avoid.  Some dreams inspire and are applauded. Some dreams are scoffed at, shrugged aside, forgotten.  Some dreams slip off the edge of our memory - nothing left but traces..

All acts of creation start with a dream, an idea, a fantasy of something that could be, but isn’t yet.  I want to know what inspires people and moves them to create - what inspires you and how. I want to see your dreams speak to me and to others. 

What do you dream about?  What inspires you?  What nightmare makes you hide under the covers afraid to move because you woke up convinced it was reality?   What do you fantasize about on your morning commute?  Where does your mind wander in the in-between moments?  What’s that goal/desire/purpose that you dwell on, cultivate and admire in the privacy of your mind that’s longing to get out? 

Give me your dreams.  I will catch them and create a web of dreams for you, my dreamers, to feed on, to be inspired by, and to create from.  Together we can create a vast repository of dreams, a well of inspiration to pull from to create and recreate.  We can let ourselves and others give form to our dreams. How many versions will there be?  What will someone else make of your dreams?  What will others make of their vision in turn? Using the dreams of others as inspiration, what will you create?  How will you recycle their dreams and how will others recycle yours?  

Here’s how it works:

Step One: The Dreamcatcher

Submit one (or several) of your dreams by emailing me at dreamscapesink@gmail.com with “Dream Submission” in the Subject Line.* By “dream” I mean anything included in the definition of the word “Dream” listed below (shamelessly lifted from Merriam-Webster dictionary):

          1.  A series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep 

          2.  An experience of waking life having the characteristics of a dream: 

                a :  a visionary creation of the imagination :  daydream

                b :  a state of mind marked by abstraction or release from reality :  reverie

                c :  an object seen in a dreamlike state :  vision

          3.  Something notable for its beauty, excellence, or enjoyable quality 

          4.  A strongly desired goal or purpose

          5.  Something that fully satisfies a wish :  ideal 

You may submit dreams in written format (please type or cut and paste directly into the body of the email),  or as a sound file if you prefer to record yourself speaking about the dream.

  • All dreams will be posted anonymously in the “Dreamcatcher” section of this website to serve as inspiration for Step Two.
  • If you want your name added to the Participants list, please include your name as you wish it to be listed.  
  • OPTIONAL: For internal project tracking purposes only, please include your age, gender and where you live   You do not have to include this information if you do not wish to. 

(*See Release Notes at bottom of page)

Step Two: Recycled Dreams - Virtual Gallery

You are all invited to Recycle a dream from the Dreamcatcher. Read through, look at and listen to the dreams in the dreamcatcher and, when you find one that speaks to you, recycle it in the format of your choice - a painting, a sculpture, a science experiment, a song, a poem, a short story, a play, a mask, a dance - the possibilities are as varied as you are. 

When your recycled dream is done, send in a digital copy of it (photograph, video (YouTube Links are good), PDF document, sound file, etc.) to dreamscapesink@gmail.com with “Recycled Dream” in the Subject Line.** 

Please include the following information in your email:

  1. The number associated with the dream you chose to recycle (For example: Dream #1, Dream #47, etc.)
  2. Your Name 
  3. Title of your piece (if it has one)
  4. Material/genre
  5. Up to 2 social media links (e.g. Artist Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
  6. Date completed
  7. Your age 
  8. Your occupation
  9. Where you live (this can be general - state, city, and/or country.
  10. Indicate whether you are willing to send in the physical piece if it is a painting/drawing/sculpture/object/etc. or if you are interested in performing live should the opportunity arise if your piece is music/dance/performance of some kind.
  11. Let me know if you wish your piece to be posted anonymously or if you would like to be credited. 

I too will be recycling dreams!  As I am interested in working with recycled/repurposed materials as much as possible, I am adding the challenge to myself to only create using materials I already have at hand, find or that are donated to me.  If you are making objects, I encourage you to do the same.  Recylce/Reimagine dreams and materials. I’ll be documenting my dream building experiments on the Recycling Center Blog if you want to check out my trial and error ridden process. 

(**See Release Notes at bottom of page)

Step Three: Dream Builds

In partnership with various organizations, I will be holding dream building sessions at various pop-up locations around NYC.  It’ll be me with a collection of dreams, some tables and chairs and lots of materials and tools to play with.  Come spend some time with me and a bunch of soon-to-be-not-strangers and build a dream together.  I’ll post these events on my blog, twitter (@DreamscapesInk) and Facebook (DreamscapesInk - “Like” me!) as the dates and locations are solidified.   

If you are interested in hosting a Dream Build at your business/school/community center/etc., please reach out to me at dreamscapesink@gmail.com 

Step Four: Recycled Dreams Installation(s) 

In my dream, I find a location (or lots of locations), and you lovely people send me the physical manifestations of your recycled dreams in all their varied glory. I’ll then find a way to put them all together to create “dreamscapes” made up of our collective creativity and you, your friends, and/or random strangers who visit can walk through, around, under and over them.  Rooms, alleys, windows, or gardens filled with your dreams - images, objects, words, songs and videos - a landscape of dreams created to fit in each unique locale.  There will be more info about this as opportunities arise.

Speaking of opportunities arising - if you have an installation area you’d like to offer up - gallery space, window space, lobby space, alley, garden, etc. please reach out to me at dreamscapesink@gmail.com. Thanks! :)

Please note that this project is open to EVERYONE.  You do not need to be a professional artist/writer/musician/what-have-you.  Everyone is invited to this party.  Give yourself permission to make, to play, to try to manifest these dreams in some way.  There is no “wrong” way to do this so have fun with it.  Let the dreams begin! Click HERE enter the Dreamcatcher.

*PLEASE NOTE that by submitting your Dream for the purpose of being used in this Recycled Dreams project, you are submitting your work to the PUBLIC DOMAIN so that any and everyone can use it. You are also agreeing to the use of the submitted ideas and concepts at the discretion of Jessica Browne-White/DreamscapesInk for all project related purposes including but not limited to publication on this website. You also are agreeing not to assert any claims against Jessica Browne-White/DreamscapesInk and to waive all claims or causes of action against Jessica Browne-White/DreamscapesInk arising from or connected with or in any way related to your submitted ideas and concepts or the use thereof.

**PLEASE NOTE that by submitting your Recycled Dream for the purpose of being used in the Recycled Dreams project, you are agreeing to the use of the submitted ideas and concepts at the discretion of Jessica Browne-White/DreamscapesInk for all project related purposes including but not limited to publication on this website.  You also are agreeing not to assert any claims against Jessica Browne-White/DreamscapesInk and to waive all claims or causes of action against Jessica Browne-White/DreamscapesInk arising from or connected with or in any way related to your submitted ideas and concepts or the use thereof. If you submit anonymously, you understand and agree to NOT be credited for your work, and you are waiving any and all rights and claims of ownership relating to the ideas and concepts contained in your submittal.***