Category: Dreams

Visionboarding & Organization

Terah Van Dusen4 Comments
My Memoir Visionboard doubles as a place to keep organized. Notice the blank spaces, those are for writing my "scenes to-do lists" which are the scenes I need to write, and then I'll cross them out as I go. And the wheel in the middle is my "full-circle story", which reveals that I've not yet completed the beginning but have written much of the content in the middle.
My memoir Visionboard doubles as a place to keep organized. Notice the blank spaces, those are for writing my “scenes to-do lists” which are the scenes I still need to write ( I’ll cross them out as I go). And the wheel in the middle is my “full-circle story”, which shows the general idea of my memoir starting at the top and traveling counter clockwise.
My full-circle story diagram. Its a start. It could definitely be elaborated on. It helps. I think.
My full-circle story diagram. It’s a start. It could definitely be elaborated on. It helps. I think.
My main goal of 2013 (if it happens sooner, great) is to find meaning in my story. Like, one meaning, or two, but no more than three. A "theme" if you will. A "take-home message". The "moral of the story".
My main goal of 2013 (if it happens sooner, great) is to find meaning in my story. Like, one meaning, or two, but no more than three. A “theme” if you will. A “take-home message”. The “moral of the story”.
I like this little corner of the Visionboard. Often as I'm writing in my journal I'll think of an idea like "Choose Your Own Adventure" ending and I'll just write that and a light bulb to signify "idea". Well, now I have an "idea" corner. For all my ideas about my memoir. It helps. I think.
I like this little corner of my Visionboard. Often as I’m writing in my journal I’ll think of an idea like “Choose Your Own Adventure Ending” and I’ll just write that and a light bulb to signify “idea”. Well, now I have an “idea” corner–to compile a list of my ideas.
My life Visionboard. It's more intracite than the other Visionboard, and every space is filled with images I clipped out of magazines.
My life Visionboard. It’s more intricate than the other Visionboard, and every space is filled with images I clipped out of magazines.
The idea is that you instinctively clip images and words without thinking too much about it and tape or paste them together--the result reveals truths about you. Truth about me: I want to be able to work a "real job" and be a successful writer too. I want them both. Surely, I can have them both.
To make a Visionboard, instinctively clip images and words without thinking too much about it. Then tape or paste the words and pictures together–the result being truths revealed about you. Truth about me: I want to be able to work a “real job” and be a successful writer too.
I find this portion of my vision board to be very mysterious.
I find this portion of my Visionboard to be very mysterious. Especially the bottom left corner. That’s my hand writing.
This part represents where I come from and also, the future, when I am able to settle down there. This section has a lot of hidden meaning. Notice the "pursuit of happiness". I guess that's what I'm on. The pursuit of happiness.
This part represents where I come from but also the future. This section has a lot of hidden meaning. It conjures many thoughts for me. Pursuit of Happiness.

SPARK Project: A Fortune Teller Once Told Me (True Story)

Terah Van Dusen2 Comments

Here’s my submission for SPARK. My partner Helen will respond with a photograph inspired by the piece. You may or may not remember this poem but it made an appearance on my blog many moons ago. Enjoy! I hope some folks are considering learning more about SPARK–you can participate in the project from anywhere.

 

A Fortune Teller Once Told Me (True Story)
By Terah Van Dusen

 

Several years ago
I had a psychic reading
Not at one of those hole-in-the-wall places
with the flashing lights
and crystal balls

It was done in my living room

My former roommate, Sydney, had her future read frequently
Sydney had the same lady come over to our house
oh, every couple months or so
Always when nobody was home
I don’t remember how it was arranged
but the next thing you knew,
I too was signed up for a reading
Sydney promised not to tell the “medium” a thing about me
That way we could insure accuracy

The medium didn’t wear a long, flouncy dress
Or bring a satchel full of rocks and crystals,
She showed up in her Subaru car,
dressed in a North Face pullover and jeans
Said to me, this isn’t my day job

We sat facing each other in the quiet house
Nobody there except for us,
That was one of her rules
That nobody else be there

She took a few minutes to gauge me,
Had her eyes closed, seemed to be sniffing around at the air
Like she were some kind of animal.
I closed my eyes too, I was tired

Maybe its custom to start out by saying a
few nice things about the person.
Because that’s what she did at first,
mentioned a few of my qualities,
built me up a little bit.
She said she noticed that I was a writer.

She told me:
Keep writing, someday there will be people helping you.
As you can imagine, I was pleased
This lady was good

She went on to say that there was a person from
my past, a person who wished to speak to me.
From a past life, from a past life, she clarified.
The medium then, with her eyes still closed,
began speaking in a stranger, lower voice
I realized that the spirit was speaking through her:
It’s you! It’s you! I cannot believe I can finally speak to yyyooou!
The emotion that came with this voice brought tears to my eyes
Ooooohhhhh, youuuuuuuu!
Oh, oh, you are sssso lovely in this life!
The voice was truly eerie,
but my, what a compliment! Lovely?

The medium broke the contact with the spirit
She looked at me and said:
Whoever that was they sure are fond of you.
But, know that not every spirit is good.
Spirits, like humans, are both bad and good.
Let’s move on, she said

I have some advice for you, based on what I’m seeing:
First, know that a good way to gauge your happiness, is that
you are happiest when you are light on your feet.

I would imagine…

Second, you should eat less spicy food. More fresh food.

No and okay.

You are very serious, watch more funny movies and TV shows.

Now, I have given you some advice about how to better your life,
I’d like to mention just a few other things before we close:

You are wondering if you will have
everlasting love: you are not the type.
You will not be with the same man for all of your life.

I’ll show you!

You are wondering if you will be happy when you move from Arizona.
You will be happy, you will be more whole than you have ever been.

In the distant future I see you standing up on a hill,
inside of a prairie or meadow.
Your arms are wide open.
You are rejoicing because
you have finally reached the place
where you’ve been headed all your life.

I will keep my eyes wide-open for that place…

That was the last psychic reading I’ve had
The only psychic reading I’ve had
The woman told me all I needed to know,
and then some.
Knowing your future is not fun.
Whether its true or not.
I mean, there’s the good:
I should keep writing!
People will be helping me!
I’m going to stretch my arms out wide like a crazy
person while standing in a high-elevation prairie!
And then there’s the bad:
I should give up Thai food,
No relationship I will have will last.

Enough is enough,
I know enough now.
I will seek that meadow where
I will be whole and free
and I will try my darndest to have a long,
happy marriage someday.
Regardless of my “destiny”

I paid the psychic $25 bucks that day.
She told me a whole lot more
But its been so long that I forgot it.
I hadn’t written it down because
at the time I was sure I’d remember it all.

Premonitions Of Yellowstone

Terah Van Dusen4 Comments

A dream:

I veer off-course one day as I’m out running errands.
I decide to drive to Yellowstone National Park.
I call and tell my boyfriend:
I’m driving to Yellowstone, so that when we
decide to go together, we’ll know how to get there!

When I’m almost to Yellowstone,
I roll down my window,
The air is arid,
sky clear,
it’s warm outside

I arrive and book into a hotel that’s busy and full
There are suitcases, and children are running a-muck.
I go inside my room,
there is a spectacular view.
I notice two guitars leaning against the wall
and I sit to write a poem about it.
I draw back the curtains.
I want to write about the view:
Taupe plateaus dusted with late spring grass…

Looking out at the view,
I’m shocked to see a yellow-eyed coyote
running down a wide lane of road, coming from the park,
and heading straight for the hotel!
The coyote (pronounced ky-oat) comes in through my open door —
I jump up on the countertop.
A man who works for the hotel comes in and shoos him away
The coyote comes back and again I jump up on the countertop,
again the old man in a red plaid shirt shoos him away
The coyote had wild eyes
He was playful and puppy-like
I sit to write a poem about the coyote.

As I am writing,
I begin to slowly emerge from my dream
Lying on my bed, hands down at my sides,
I can hardly believe I’m not really at Yellowstone!
I can hardly believe that my hands are idle,
that there is no poem, and
there is no coyote.
But I was gonna find out how to get there!
So we could go again, together, soon!
Yellowstone was warm
and fresh