Because We Dreamed It Because We Dreamed It Photograph by Suzanne Webb Edited by Nila J. Webster Copyright © 2016 Nila J. Webster Because We Dreamed It Copyright © 2016 Nila J. Webster Because We Dreamed It Notes to the Reader This book is for you. Pure and simple. For best results in using this book, have a notebook or folder with you during class, and name it “My This book is here to celebrate your magical, unique, Dreams”, “My Path to Self-Discovery”, “Creative one-of-a-kind imagination. Each page of this Central” or another name that you love. Have a pen book is its own adventure and its own pathway to or pencil. Rather than shouting out your answers, self-discovery. think about each question, pick up your pen, and write down an opinion, idea, or line of poetry. Within this book are essays, poetry, reflection Before starting a discussion, make sure everyone has questions, ideas for creative writing, and more. You had a chance to write down something. The act of can use this book in many ways. You can choose writing your thoughts will help you connect to your a single page and answer the reflection questions imagination and your dreams. To maximize the magic in a notebook you might call “Conversations with of this book, make sure you take this step each time. My Imagination” or “My Book of Dreams.” You can Also make sure you give each person in your class follow the Discovery Challenges that are boxed off at the same respect you would want. By agreeing to the bottom of some of the pages as if you are going support each other, you will create something special on a treasure hunt. You can take the first line of a and lasting. poem, and use it as a springboard to write your own poem, or song, or story. You can use the photographs This book has optional ideas of how to share your and artwork in this book as a launch pad for creating work. Let yourself be guided by your imagination, your own art. and focus on a creative writing idea that you love. The artists who contributed to this book believe This book is here to support your dreams, your in you. Think of us as creative partners who are hopes, your imagination, your ability to create cheering you on with every page. Just as our solutions and, most of all, your journey. We wish you contributions are an expression of our own creative the very best and most magical trip ever. sparkle, so too, we know that you have creative sparkles within you. • If this photograph were hanging in a museum, what do you think the title would be? Think of two titles that go with this photograph. Try writing a poem, using one of your titles as the first line. • What do you notice in this photograph? How does this photo connect with what is written above? Photograph by Suzanne Webb Copyright © 2016 Nila J. Webster 1 Because We Dreamed It Table of Contents Introduction Part 1: Connecting with Your Imagination Part 2: Making a Difference Part 3: Metaphor Central Messages from the Contributing Artists Closing Poem & Further Resources DESIGNER’S CHOICE: Did you know designing Which of the two images below would you a book is a form of creativity? Compare and choose for the cover of the book you would contrast these two images to the images on the design? Can you explain why? Let’s pretend you front cover. To connect with your imagination, could make up your own title to go with your let’s pretend you are designing a book called choice. What would you call your book, based Because We Dreamed It. on the image you chose? Artwork by George Ulrich Photograph by Suzanne Webb 2 Copyright © 2016 Nila J. Webster Because We Dreamed It because we dreamed it we dreamed of a clear blue sky and horse clouds racing with beams of sun we dreamed of this day filled with the budding trees Photograph by Suzanne Webb and the music of every bird because we dreamed it it came true -- jani johe webster • What do you feel when you read this poem? • Can you write down one of the greatest dreams Photograph by David Schneider you have for your life? • This poem proposes that our dreams can become reality through envisioning, which means seeing something in our mind’s eye. What do you think of this idea? • If you were going to design a book, which of the two photographs would you use to compliment this poem? Can you explain why? • This poem has rhythm, which means it has a certain pace that adds to its magic. Try adding four stanzas to this poem, beginning with the words “we dreamed / of this day / filled with …” Use specific images and details to help your writing shine. • How can it be that our dreams are so powerful that if we dream something sparkling for ourselves, or for others, it can actually come true? • Can you write a poem about the positive, electrifying energy of dreaming? Try writing a story about characters who have special, magical dreams, and these dreams come true. DISCOVERY CHALLENGE: Look up and write down the definitions of “dream”, “wish” and hope.” How are the words similar, and how are they different? Did you know that every word has its own unique meaning? As the poet and writer, you get to choose the words that best describe your vision. You are the artist. Copyright © 2016 Nila J. Webster 3 Because We Dreamed It Introduction It can be a rough world out there, and you have to The question is, how do you feel about yourself? wonder how we can bring a little gentleness and Do you have the guts and the confidence to live the compassion to it. Maybe we can start with ourselves, way you want to live without letting other people’s by trying to live our lives according to the things we attitudes and ideas run your life? Can you love think are real and important. yourself even if you aren’t skinny and pretty like the girls on television? Even if you’re a chubby guy who That gets a little tricky, because our ideas of what’s gets laughed at because you wear thick glasses and important change as we change and grow; there are like to read books? things that were important to you when you were in second grade that aren’t important now. For example, Just think about it. There’s never been anyone like do you remember when your idea of a hot Saturday you, and there never will be again. Of all the billions afternoon was having your mom take you shopping at of people who have lived and died, there’s no one Toys-‘R-Us? And this past year, maybe the things that else who has ever had the knowledge and memories were important to you were clothes, or parties, or and talents and feelings that you have inside you. playing on the soccer team. My point is simply that What’s so sad is that many people never get told how your interests and priorities shift as you go through special they are, and there’s one reason that there’s different stages of life. so much violence and drug abuse in our society today. So many young people have been treated so Some people are going to tell you, don’t worry about badly that they’ve never learned to love themselves. anyone else. That’s what the person who steals And how can you love someone else if you can’t millions of dollars by cheating on the stock market love yourself? has in common with the gun-toting gang member. They both think that going for the bucks is the only And as you learn to appreciate yourselves and each thing that matters. other, you can learn to join together and accomplish something that older generations haven’t really been But if the most important thing in life is have a BMW able to do. You can help to build a society in which with an Alpine sound system, and the latest style people are more important than things. A society jacket, and the gold chains and the Air Jordans and in which nobody starves, and nobody sleeps on the Gucci handbags, what happens if you lose them? the streets, and elderly people and AIDS patients What’s left? Who are you then? and crack babies get compassionate heath care. And we’re going to need you to help lead the way, I’m willing to bet that some of you have been made because a lot of older Americans are so frightened fun of or considered “uncool” because you didn’t and pressured by the things going on around us that have the right kind of jacket or shoes or haircut. I’m we’ve started to shut ourselves off from each other. also willing to bet that some of you have made fun of Some of us have forgotten how to be kind. Maybe someone else for the same reasons. I’m not saying it’s you can remind us. bad to dress in style and to want material things. I’m just asking if a gold chain or a Gucci handbag is the most important thing in your life. 4 CopyrightCopyright © © 2016 2016 Nila Charles J. Webster Coe Because We Dreamed It And it can start right here, right now, REFLECTION QUESTIONS in little ways.