How to Access Your Unconscious Levels of Creativity

Long before I began writing my book, I knew I wanted to write but I had no idea what, if anything, I would write about.

One night I had a dream: on an otherwise blank page the word "BOOKS" was written in capital letters. I was stunned when I woke up. As I have followed my dreams for many years, believing they are messages from my unconscious, I knew I needed to take this message seriously. I thought about what books my unconscious meant. The first, I quickly acknowledged, was a contribution for a book I had been asked to write; it was long overdue. But why the plural "books"?

The next morning I woke with a clear understanding of what the other book would be: an account of the journey in counselling of a number of my ex-clients. The following morning I woke with the chapter titles in my mind; those chapter headings changed very little over the next six years, as I completed the book. My dreams assisted me during those six years.

Paying close attention to our dreams is the most effective way of accessing unconscious levels of creativity, because they reveal to us hidden feelings, desires and truths that we may not recognise with our conscious mind. Sigmund Freud described dreams as "the royal road to the unconscious" and with my clients I have seen repeatedly how tuning in to dreams can send us down a path we may not have considered.

We dream every night, but many clients assure me they never do. I look into their eyes and tell them that now that I have asked their unconscious, I am sure they will remember a dream. They invariably do. It often comes as a shock, especially to male clients, because their dreams may reveal to them inner feelings and aspects of themselves that surprise them. On reflection, of course, they recognise the authentic feelings presented by their dreams. As a counsellor I rely on clients' dreams, as they reveal a great deal about the client's situation. It can be difficult initially to understand dreams without the help of an expert because they present stories to us in an almost forgotten language, via image and metaphor. Sadly in our society we are no longer accustomed to tuning in to our inner world.

If you would like to access your creativity via your dreams, the first step is to decide to pay close attention to your dreams. Next to your bed, have pen and paper and when you wake from a dream, write down everything you can recall - where you were, who was there, what was happening. When you come to look at this closely, you will start to understand what the dream is trying to tell you. Your unconscious will reward you once you begin to pay attention.

My practical advice on accessing hidden creativity is simply to begin, anywhere. Start writing, if that is what you would like to do. Write on any topic, for as long as you wish. Keep practising. Or if you would like to dance, sing or play music, look for a class that appeals to you. Just start.

Beware of the critical you. Explore your creativity, silencing the voice inside you which says "Not good enough". The truth is that while you may not be the next Picasso, Hemingway or Mozart, you are good enough - for you.