Networks and Dreamcatchers

Somewhere in North Norfolk a road branches off the A140 and leads to a smaller road, that leads to a gravel road, that leads to a dirt track that leads to Top Farm and one of the most beautiful views I’ve seen just 10 miles out of Norwich. For two days in June this glorious field was transformed from a campsite into a spectacular ‘englampment’ as it hosted a business networking event masquerading as the best party I’ve been to this year.

I am not, naturally, drawn to business networking events. A wandering mind can make it difficult to focus as I fight the urge to pry into different, and less appropriate, areas of other people’s business.

But this event was different. It was a collaboration between The English Shepherd Hut Company, Eliza Boo Photography and Libby Ferris Flowers and it was a breath of fresh air, held under the stars. The music was live, the mood relaxed and the food was home cooked.

Early in the evening I sat making dream catchers with a group of women from hugely different professional backgrounds and as we made them we discussed our lives, our work, and our dreams. We shared ideas and found a common ground.

I’m not sure why I chose to make dream catchers that evening, I generally avoid cultural appropriation, but as we talked, and our conversations became more colourful and intense, I wondered how many other dreams were waiting to be revealed and released. Dreams set free to travel like fluttering moths attracted by the glowing lights of a hundred bright ideas.

As we finished our dream catchers, and hung them up to be admired, I remembered that Native American Indians believe that dreams fill the air around us and  as I studied our handiwork I wondered how many dreams they’d capture that night, and how many were destined to slip through the net.