And nightmares...

These are some details from some of the sketches in my dream diary. All kinds of nightmarish fears are in it – of riots, destruction, powerlessness, hopelessness, homelessness, harm, prejudice, judgement...

But I’ve also included two images of wonder and delight – a shoal of fish swimming near me and a flock of chickens freely wandering through the countryside with me at night.

Dreams

I recently pulled out a pile of old notebooks and photo albums, and amongst them was a dream diary I’d begun when I was eighteen and in first year. I’d wanted something just for me – I didn’t want anyone looking over my shoulder, telling me what to draw and how to draw it. So I used a blue ballpoint pen and kept my sketches quick and rough. The perspectives might be skewed, straight lines are often wobbly, and any mistakes are worked over or shrugged off. 

Stars and snails on the cover.

Peering over the edge of my bed into a pool of water.