Baptism

I had a dream a few days after my first art show. I was grapelling with the idea of being worthy of calling myself an artist, of pricing my artwork well, of stepping out.

We were in the corner of a sanctuary with white robes and flowers in our hair preparing for a ceremony. We were all helping each other get ready. It was almost as if we were in a bridal party. We were a chosen group. The sanctuary was huge, dim with a soft lit glow.

In the front of the sanctuary was a vortex, like a pillar, of smoke and clouds going from the altar all the way to the cathedral ceiling. One by one, each person in the bridal party went to the front and up and through the vortex of smoke. As they came out of the top of it they floated down as a spool of rose gold thread wrapped each person’s body. It was some sort of right of passage. A baptism of grace, of greatness.

For some reason, though, I was going to be missed. I don’t know if I was late, or just didn’t qualify, but I wasn’t going to get to participate in the ritual.

But then, I remembered myself, and I found the person who was responsible for deciding who got to go. She was like a wedding planner, dressed in robes, with flowers in her hair, but with a clipboard. And I walked up to her and with total confidence said, “I have a powerful request.” I don’t even remember the words I used afterwards, but they were few. My request was that I be allowed to go.

And I was. And I did.

After the dream, I knew its significance immediately. We have a birthright to greatness. And not a single person is more worthy than the other. In my dream, it was a matter of claiming it.

And that one dream, changed my life.

And the artwork by the title of Baptism, is inspired by that story.