FAQ

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR A DREAMGROUP?
Bring a dream and a commitment to offer yourself an uninterrupted afternoon.
Classes start promptly at 1:00 p.m. and usually end around 6:30 p.m. (noon to 5:30 in winter)

WHAT DO I HAVE TO BRING TO AN “ART OF THE DREAM” WORKSHOP?
Bring a dream.
The studio provides all materials and tools as well as a selection of teas and a few healthy snacks.

Optional:
You may choose to bring your dream journal, a blank journal, your favorite pens, scissors, X-Acto knife with a cutting mat, a bone folder.

DO I HAVE TO JOIN THE TUESDAY WEEKLY GROUP OR COMMIT TO A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS?
No,
Come when you have a dream.
Come once in your lifetime, occasionally or weekly.
Advance reservations are requested.
If you are new to “The Art of the Dream”, call or email Victoria before class to schedule an introductory interview.
victoria@victoriadreams.com
505 988-1086

I'M NOT A NEW AGE KIND OF PERSON. HOW “WOO WOO” ARE “THE ART OF THE DREAM” WORKSHOPS?
The “Art Of The Dream” workshops focus on universal themes that underlie all world religions and all philosophies.
Dreams are not a “new age” thing. Every human being dreams. Artists and coal miners; superstars and philosophers; saints and derelicts; Republicans and Democrats; Christians, Jews, Muslims, Navajo, Buddhists, Quakers, Atheists.

DO I HAVE TO TELL MY DREAM ALOUD TO OTHERS?
Yes,
Each Dreamer shares a dream with the group at the beginning of each session. During the first hour, we share our dreams and invite a few moments of respectful input, inquiry, curiosity and wonder from fellow dreamers. This is a very precious part of the group experience. Gentle, non-analytic feed-back is always filled with surprises and Aha’s.
The dreamwork that we create is typically shared at the end of every class. But if your dreamwork is too personal, you will never be required to share anything that you prefer to keep private.
The important thing is that you work from the heart with raw honesty on behalf of your own learning.

I DON'T WANT TO EXPOSE MY PRIVATE LIFE, BUT I WANT TO STUDY MY DREAMS.
Typically, dreams come to us in symbols. Our private lives are usually disguised in metaphor. We speak in terms of volcanoes, locked rooms, dark and stormy nights!
Although we may feel like we are revealing everything about ourselves, we generally aren’t. Although you will share a dream at the beginning of class, you do not have to share your private insights or dreamwork at the end of the class if it is too personal.

I’M NOT AN ARTIST OR WRITER BUT I’D LIKE TO WORK WITH MY DREAMS. CAN I ATTEND?
You don’t need to have any artistic “talent”, but you need a desire to dig deeply into your inner life. Your intention to be “in attention” for an entire afternoon is the only requirement. There are some experienced artists and writers who regularly attend “The Art Of The Dream” workshops. It can sometimes feel daunting to work beside them. You must come armed with a strong enough sense of purpose so as not to get derailed by the quality or quantity of work by other dreamers. The work you create is for yourself and the group is always supportive.

DO I NEED ART SKILLS?
If you can cut out pictures and words with a pair of scissors and use a glue stick, you possess all of the basic skills necessary.

WHAT KIND OF MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED?
The studio is stocked with quality papers for book pages and collage, glues sticks, scissors, colored pens, pastels, joss papers, decorative papers, and drawers filled with carefully selected images and words from art magazines and books.

I RARELY DREAM, BUT I REMEMBER ONLY A FEW. HOW CAN I JOIN YOUR DREAMGROUP IF MY DREAMS ARE RARE?
Some dreamers work with one dream for their entire lives.
Some dreamers work with their childhood dreams.
Some dreamers work with one recurring dream.
Some dreamers work with short fragments.
Some dreamers only come to one workshop once in their lives with one compelling dream.
Most dreamers find that they dream more when they join a group.

I DON'T DREAM, HOW CAN I BECOME A DREAMER?
Every sentient being dreams. Humans typically dream every ninety minutes. The first REM cycles are short. But as the night wears on, the length of the dream cycles get longer. The more rest we get at night, the more chance we have of having longer, more memorable dreams.

Dream recall can improve by trying any of the following techniques:
Make a conscious wish to remember a dream before you go to sleep.
Write out a dream incubation (a question or a topic of concern) before going to sleep.
Place a pen and a pad of paper with a tiny night light or a voice recorder beside the bed, so that you are ready to record a dream the moment you wake.
Avoid censoring or judging the merit of the dream.
Record any fragment or wisp of a dream even if it makes no sense.
Read a book about dreaming at bedtime.
Try to wake up without an alarm clock. Never use a radio to wake up to.
Join a Dream Group. Psyche tends to remember dreams when she knows she’ll be heard.

I AM A PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST / SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR / CAREGIVER / TEACHER / ARTIST / WRITER.
Will “THE ART OF THE DREAM” ENHANCE MY SKILLS?
If you are a therapist, spiritual guidance counselor or caregiver, you will refuel your creative reservoir as you learn new tools for working with clients.
If you are a teacher, you will learn creative techniques to share with students.
If you are a visual artist, the class will sharpen your skills and deepen the scope of your work.
If you are a book artist, you will practice narrative book-making and sequential book-thinking.
If you are a writer, you will experiment with a shifting voices and perspectives.
If you are an architect/engineer/lawyer/designer/homemaker etc you will find inspiration and insight to carry into your work and personal life.

IS THE ART OF DREAMING A THERAPY GROUP?
No.
However, working with dreams can often feel therapeutic.

HOW IS VICTORIA RABINOWE QUALIFIED TO FACILITATE STUDIES IN DREAMWORK?
Victoria is certified in advanced DreamTending at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She is an annual presenter at the International Association for the Study of Dreams. She has taught over 500 workshops in “The Art of the Dream.”

DO I NEED TO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DREAMWORK?
No,
Although many dreamers have participated in or facilitated some form of dream group encounter or psychoanalysis, “The Art of the Dream” can be your first dream experience.

I DON’T LIKE TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE: How do you create an entire book out of a dream in an afternoon?
There is a flowing pace to the afternoon. The time is structured carefully to reach a completion of each project.
Some participants continue to refine the project after class or use the work as a jumping off place for more in-depth work.

CAN I STUDY INDEPENDENTLY?
Yes,
One on One independent study options:
Mentorship in the development of a series of dreams or a dream theme into a book or an artwork is available.
Career / guidance counseling/ life coaching
$75. per hour for Private Sessions.

CAN I ARRANGE A CUSTOM DREAMGROUP FOR A SPECIAL EVENT?
Yes.
Special events can be designed to meet the needs and desires of any group:
Spiritual holiday gatherings
Birthday thresholds
Significant celebrations
Creative writing, arts or healing groups.
Review the WORKSHOPS button on the home page for lots of creative ideas to customize your event.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CREATE A BOOK OUT OF A DREAM?
Materials are supplied for making book pages and a binding machine is available to fasten the pages.
Each project guides the dreamer to make a visual and narrative response to the dream in a sequential order. The process lends itself to the form and structure of a book.
Participants may prefer to work in their own journals or create a painting or collage.

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF AN “ART OF THE DREAM” STUDIO WORKSHOP?
Typically, each class opens with a short centering ritual that begins to move participants out of the waking world and into the dreamworld.
Each dreamer reads or recites a dream. The group takes a few moments to discuss each dream.
Victoria offers an archetypal or universal theme for the day.
Dreamers move to separate work spaces in the studio to respond to their dreams and the project in their own unique and personal way.
At the end of every workshop, participants come together to share their work or their insights of the day.

The atmosphere is respectful, relaxed yet focused, and carefully paced.