Raphael Saadiq

I'm going to start a drawing series of musical artist(s) I'm listening to. Soooo... today I present you with the soulful, always sharply dressed, Oakland native: Mr. Raphael Saadiq. I've been listening to a lot of Tony! Toni! Tone! and interviews/podcasts with Raphael Saadiq... just captures the groove I'm in. I learned from one of the interviews that he bought his first acoustic guitar at the age of 5 from the SAN JOSE flea market.... yeaaaah! The same one I frequented as a kid to buy pogs! Hahaha. Pretty sweet. I have such a crush on him.

Learning While You Dream

Totally feelin' this nyt article. Cue excerpt:

“It’s almost as if your brain is rummaging through everything that happened today and deciding that you’re not done with it,” Dr. Stickgold said. “The things that really grip you, the ones you decide at an emotional level are really important, those are the ones you dream about. The things you’re obsessed with are the ones that your brain forces you to continue to process.”

It's such a romantic idea... that as your body rests, your mind stays active to help heal whatever gaping heart-wounds or burdening, unresolved issues you have before bed. I tend to have very vivid dreams that work to prepare, inform or explore whatever obstacles I'm facing in the spiritual, business & love/relationship aspects of my life.

For example, last night was somewhat emotionally traumatizing, and perhaps as a result, I dreamt that I was on the phone with my sister as I walked on the sand. Then, I noticed that the beach was covered with green snakes. I skipped around trying to avoid them, scared that they'd bite me. I eventually climbed up a ladder to avoid them, and watched the sun rise or set.

Now, according to my favorite dream website:

To see a snake or be bitten by one in your dream, signifies hidden fears and worries that are threatening you. Your dream may be alerting you to something in your waking life that you are not aware of or that has not yet surfaced. Alternatively, the snake may be seen as phallic and thus symbolize temptation, dangerous and forbidden sexuality. If you are afraid of the snake, then it signifies your fears of sex, intimacy or commitment. The snake may also refer to a person around you who is callous, ruthless, and can't be trusted.

To see sand in your dream, signifies a shift in perspective or a change in your attitude.

To dream that you are climbing up a ladder, suggests that you have reached a new level of achievement. It is symbolic of prosperity, hard work and your efforts. Consider also the phrase of "climbing the social ladder" in which you have achieved a promotion, a higher status, more power, or an important goal. Alternatively, it may indicate meditation and prayer. You are setting forth on a spiritual path and higher awareness. Each rung of the ladder is indicative of a stage in your spiritual awareness. You may also be looking things from a different perspective.

To see the sun in your dream, symbolizes peace of mind, enlightenment, tranquility, fortune, goodwill, and insight. It also represents radiant energy and divine power. It is a good omen to have the sun shining in your dream.

Uhhh.... YES. Hahahha. I agree! Definitely positively shifting my ideas/perspective because of a "snake." Anyway, I'm a firm believer in the power of dreams, and listening to the cryptic messages they're trying to tell you. It's just your brain trying to help a brotha out.