A dream of Ben, a spark of creativity

Blog, I'm here today to fulfill the A Creative Dreamer's July Creative Challenge, and let me waste no time in sharing my contribution.  First look at it...and then let me explain:

Is it an "art"? Is it a "craft"? Does it really qualify?  And what the heck is the story here?

Let us begin at the beginning, Blog.  The theme of this month's challenge is, simply, "Dream." And I have to say, that's one mighty broad category.  I've been struggling since the theme was announced to figure out where to go with it.  Some "dreamy" piece of beaded jewelry?  Some work in polyclay somehow expressing the topic?  I couldn't come up with anything that really inspired me.

Then a couple of nights ago, I was treated to one of those really vivid dreams about romance that I am fortunate to have a couple times a year.  Even though I haven't thought a whole lot about Benjamin Linus since "Lost" aired its series finale, he was the star of this dream. 

I know I have more than a few readers who understand how such a thing could have happened.

I've blogged a lot in the past about the strange but affective appeal of Michael Emerson's portrayal of this conflicted, engaging character.  There are lots of aspects of Ben Linus that strike a chord with this or that female (perhaps this or that male as well).  In my dream, Ben was more like his "off island" self, the wise and kind high school teacher, Dr. Linus.  He was some sort of college professor, and I was his intern or teaching assistant, and there was this unspoken chemistry between us.  I found myself totally, profoundly smitten with him...and much to my joy, I came to believe my feelings were returned, even though no words to that effect were expressed.

I woke up from this dream pretty dang happy.  I think if I could have dreams like that at will, I'd never get out of bed.  And within a day's time, it occurred to me that somehow I had to celebrate this dream for the Creative Challenge.

In my book Living Beyond Reality: A Jungian Primer for Enhancing Your Life I talk a lot about the animus, a sort of embodiment of our desires that can manifest itself in celebrity crushes.  I discuss ways to tap into or connect with that "spirit," including writing about the personalities that so strongly attract the soul.  I also mention another approach that I've found effective, and that's to draw or paint or otherwise focus on the physical image of the animus-bearing person.

Creating this digital art of Professor Linus was that sort of exercise, complimented by my little bit of free verse explaining what the portrait signifies to me.  Doing it, I did revive some emotions I had felt in my dream.  Which I assure you, Blog, was quite fun.

Meanwhile, it's a bit of a nutshell expression of my belief that if you are infatuated with an imaginary person, then real or not, that person matters.  The importance is not really the actual celebrity or character, but rather what he signifies to you and your psyche.  So there you go.

But does this digital art--a little interpretive Photoshopping and graphic design--constitute a creative craft?  All I know is, it most certainly served as a creative way of celebrating the theme of "dream."

Well, Blog, I hope I explained myself okay in this post!  At any rate, I was probably more successful than I've ever been at explaining to my husband why I'm attracted to Ben Linus...