when planning the course, i wanted us all to co-create. i envisioned something we could return to each day to reflect on what we learned and discussed. i hoped it could be a space of individual and group expression: a way to get to know ourselves and each other better. from these hopes came collective dreaming.
each day, i'd roll out a piece of white paper and we'd sit around it. i'd ask questions to serve as loose guidance for our dreaming and then invite sharing if it felt right. sometimes, i'd ask follow-ups. we'd draw and write about it all. as more content appeared, we also started to interact with each other's dreaming on paper, writing a comment or doodle in response.
I thought a lot about certain theories and thinkers when coming up with this collective dreaming practice.
josé esteban muñoz suggests that 'queer' isn't just an identity, but a utopia that we work towards. on day 4, when the paper was nearly full, i asked everyone a final few questions about this idea of utopia. i asked us all to imagine a world where there's no oppression. an dream space where we could each be ourselves without fear. in that space, what would you create?
it was a tough question and we wrestled with it for a bit before sharing some first thoughts.the conversation started to flow and we found that for many of us, we'd trained ourselves to hold back in the face of oppression. but, these struggles had also shaped us. we recognized how incredible it is that we are who we are even through these struggles, ending on a note of pride and self-love. i urged us all to think about who we have yet to become.
i tried to reassure that there were no right answers to the big questions. i spoke about an article by david lewkowich and how he sweats profusely every time he teaches, but he thinks of the sweat as a sign that he cares about his class. i, too, was nervous and wasn't sure how collective dreaming would go. i shared this with everyone and always tried to be a vulnerable part of the conversation myself, while thanking everyone for their contributions.
our completed collective dreaming at the end of the week.
on the last day, we hung up our collective dreaming on the board and filled in the last few blank spots with anything we wanted.
the end result: a collective conversation, creation, and dream shared over the course of the week.
note to students: i can't thank you all enough for the trust you had in me and each other while collective dreaming. Your enthusiasm and engagement were energizing. we created something wonderful. 💓