Dreamer Handbook: The Assignment: I Have a Dream 04

The Assignment: I Have a Dream When I moved to Baltimore, it was to get my 1st graduate degree in Modern Studies.

I studied short story writing, science, magic, and religion, violence and competition in urban America, detective fiction and romance, adult learning, and a bunch of other courses with an end goal (for me) of opening my mind to the possibilities only attainable with a broad perspective.

To this day, when I tell people about my degree(s) they are Surprised Vocal about their own unawareness of the broad world of education and interests While also voicing their own shitty biases and assumptions Confused and often ask, “WTF are you going to do with that?” I usually respond with, “Whatever I want!” .

We had an exam in my Secrets of the Old Masters oil painting class. The prof, without being specific enough for my brain, said we had to do a self portrait. Everyone did a frontal facing style facial rendering. Not me. I didn’t see myself superimposed over the white faces of the renaissance, old world style artwork. I didn’t see portraits, like he wanted, with people who looked like me. I also don't really like to be photographed and didnt have a mirror or a front facing image to follow.

The professor cocked his head and shrugged. He called me a “Rebel Rouser,” and waved his fist in the air. He also realized he should have been more specific. Creativity wins everytime.

For me, there was more meaning and passion in the brush strokes to create this image. For the 1st time in my life, I was very close to Washington, DC and felt even closer to the stories about great movements and speeches, orators and activists, politicians and leaders who walked those streets. I was moved to create a canvas with myself as the storyteller. In the foreground, the same gatekeepers/security who appear in the MLK photograph, stand along the edges between me and the people.

I still have a dream.

I understood the assignment. I don’t expect people with limited thinking to understand the dreams I have about how I will, how I do, walk the Earth, how they might walk if they really listened to their inner voice and chased happiness and purpose.

What is your dream? No one will understand until you show them. Show yourself. There are 7 pieces in this collection. Oil on canvas. 300dpi.

NFT owner has the right to resell the art NFT, to publicly perform and privately or publicly display the art. Owner may not reproduce, prepare derivatives, or distribute copies, without the consent of and credit to the original creator.