The more we write our dreams down, the more we tend to remember them, and the more we remember them, the more we can benefit from their unique wisdom. The dream journal is like a magical key that opens the door to our subconscious world.
Yours was meaningfully crafted by traditional papermakers in Rajasthan called kagzis. Moving through an age-old process, the kagzis gather discarded cotton scraps, break them down into fibers, and then soak them overnight. The pulp is then strained, pressed, and hung to dry. Finally, the pages are assembled into a book, ready to capture rich impressions.
In Rajasthan, economic opportunity is scarce. The artisans responsible for crafting your new repository of dreams are women, people with special needs, and people from impoverished areas. Their eco-friendly craft improves livelihoods while preserving water.
Suggested use: Keep on your nightstand, or simply with you during the day for catching inspiration, ideas, and impressions.
Noticing fashion trends is a great way to check in with current cultural trends, or shall we say, collective cultural dreams? So what is it about the tote bag that makes it so popular (and so cute) these days?
What are we dreaming of when we toss this versatile, laidback catchall across our shoulder and saunter comfortably out into the world, prepared for whatever scenario, and with a little extra room to collect the unexpected?
Christine Chengo, a Kenyan artisan working with the women’s empowerment program ImaniXchange, is a woman who dreams a glowing world around her everyday. The tools of her trade are her witty sense of humor, zeal for learning and engagement with multiculturalism and modern society, and love for her children and for singing! Her tote bag is one that is always swinging.
Suggested use: Carry your lunch, your workout clothes, or simply your daily essentials.
Punctuate your day with something sweet and pave the way toward vibrant dreams. It is said that eating dairy foods, like ice cream, on a daily basis can trigger vivid and even elaborate dreams. Feeling skeptic? Test it!
If dairy is not your thing, cherries and bananas are also great foods to eat before bed that promote good sleep. Believer or not, your bowl is your new accomplice in all things sweet and delicious. It comes from Nabeul, a city on the Mediterranean coast of northeast Tunisia and home of the craft studio Le Souk Ceramique.
Hanene has worked for Le Souk since 2010. Married with two children, working for Le Souk enables Hanene to support not only her immediate family, but her extended family as well.
Suggested use: Help yourself to some dessert, and journey to the vast Mediterranean of your dreams!
Making goals is its own form of dreaming. Consider using your pouch as a “dream jar,” either for personal use, or with your family. Write down your goals for the year on scraps of paper, one goal per scrap. Place inside the pouch, and when the year is halfway up, open it up and check in with your intentions! In addition to wishes and goals, you might include some happy memories from the year before in the mix. Of course, feel free to riff off these guidelines to create your own dream pouch practice.
Oaxacan weaver Paula Garcia Peralta knows how to dream big. She started working with GlobeIn just last year when she met weavers Marina and Leobardo in the market. At the time, Paula and her husband were selling mezcal. After Paula joined GlobeIn, they were able to take out a loan and buy the whole mezcal factory!
Suggested use: See above...
