Image: CREAM GREEN DREAM. Mixed Media on Canvas. 26 x 36 cm.  2007

DREAMS

It seems to many that we are living in a dream or some strange sci fi film at the moment. Our worlds have been turned upside down with no idea of when we will find our feet.  Plenty of budding mind gurus throughout social media are reporting that many of us have been experiencing anxiety dreams and they have been busy giving us advice on how to cope with these; whilst at the same time warning that the fear the lockdown can generate is potentially worse than the virus itself.   The negatives fueling our somnambulistic disquiet are the serious effects on mental health, with the very real social anxiety caused through isolation and uncertainty about the future. These are compounded by financial and health fears for ourselves, family members and friends. Dark and troubling times to be sure.

One could ague that there are however, some positive changes happening in the national psyche. The lockdown has spawned an increased sense of community cohesion, with countless innovative collaborations of groups and individuals finding new ways of connecting an otherwise fragmented society. Selflessness and sacrifices for the greater good are not hard to find. There is a sense that once this ordeal is through we will be looking at a recalibration of the way we think about the importance and values of our society; a back to the drawing board moment for all of us. Our dreams now may be increasingly troubled but we have seen hopeful signs that we can sleep more soundly, awakening to a new and more compassionate dawn.