The Dream-Maker's Manifesto

Status Anxiety, Deception & Trickery

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:15:37 GMT

As a regular reader, you know that now and again here at the DMM, I have irregular special editions such as the Dream-Maker Discussions, where I have a chat with a friend and fellow dream-maker distilling their own particular strategy, philosophy and wisdom, and the occasional In the Studio, where I share latest work from my own creative practice.

This t…

The best £1 you’ll ever spend

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:29:34 GMT

While the title of this article may at first appear playfully provocative, I believe that the gem of a find that I stumbled upon a few years ago may just prove to be the best exchange of a one-pound coin as an investment for serial dream-making that I’ve ever made. Quite a claim, right?

OK, I’ll share this little nugget with you and anticipate that you w…

Jared’s Story

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:57:13 GMT

Four years ago, to this day - 24^th July - was quite a moment for me. It was the release date for my debut psychological thriller All Fall Down.

After six years1 of writing and editing, it was published through Chronos Publishing and received a lot of response, including an option for it to become a feature film (ongoing).

And so, it seems kind of cool that…

On Regret

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:15:09 GMT

If you are reading this outside of the UK, you may have no idea who Sir Ken Dodd (1927 – 2018) was*. In a nutshell, he was a legend of the light entertainment scene, with a career spanning seven decades. An icon of British entertainment and one of our greatest ever comedians. He was also a chart-topping singer, selling millions of records. Known for his…

P.I.C.N.I.C. Power!

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 08:20:07 GMT

Give me a P…

Here I am enjoying a picnic in our local park. The sun is shining and before too long it will be winter. (As the stoics wisely observed, ‘this too shall pass’.)

I believe that giving yourself permission to enjoy a leisurely picnic is good creative medicine. More so, I have devised an acronym (‘ark at me!) to nudge you into doing just that.

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Wh…

A truly MAGICAL photo

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:30:45 GMT

This is a truly magical photograph.

My friend CJ May, aka Cyril the Sorcerer1, is an environmental magician. He does magic shows for schools and groups, teaching how we are caretakers of the planet.

In the photo above, CJ has donned his wizard’s robes and ventured out into the woods with a copy of my latest magic book Just Alan—Not Just Magic.

So many magic…

The Oak Tree Framework

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:31:13 GMT

Bear with me as we’re going into the land of metaphor. We’re going to walk into the forest and look at the trees. Well, just one tree actually; the mighty oak.

Within the finger-frame; an oak tree (or is it? Not sure, it’s too far away to tell. Whatever it is, it’s mighty!)

We live in a culture of instant gratification. Whatever we desire, we can order o…

The Shield of Silence

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 15 May 2026 08:16:01 GMT

Here in the UK, we seem to have tension and conflict no matter where we turn; from clickbait demanding our attention, through to social media rants, newspaper gloom and even Substack having its fair share of doom-laden writers.

As a creative person, I long ago decided a few things;

1 – I would use my writing and art for escapism, thrill and, where possibl…

Remember, you are normal...

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:31:16 GMT

This week’s Dream-Maker Discussion takes its title from a line in our guest’s ‘letter to my younger self,’ which you can read in full below.

One facet of living a creative life is that I am always learning. I tend to think of life-long learning similar to being a sponge (but without the square-pants*): absorb it all. Well, maybe not the negative stuff.

On…

Work-Life Balance? I call BULLS**T!

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:21:58 GMT

What does the idea of work-life balance do for you when you pause and give it deep reflection? Does it inspire you to think of your life in these terms? Or does it give you a feeling of having to reconcile a huge chunk of your waking life to drudgery and enslavement, leaving things you actually enjoy to be something you need to find time for?

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Photo: Ripp…

A Matter of Heart

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:15:41 GMT

I made the decision about six years ago to purposely slow life down. Part of doing this was the intention to spend more time reading, writing and reflecting on things that fascinate me. Back then, I felt like Western society was increasingly becoming something I was compelled to ‘keep up with’; too much information, too little time.

That’s a game I no lo…

Show me the Monet

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:30:50 GMT

It’s funny but not in a ha-ha way.

After leaving school, I spent two years at art college, followed by a further three years on an art degree at university. (Granted, it wasn’t all art-led, as my street-performing career began during those latter years.)

One simple trick to align your creative mind

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:15:26 GMT

Ah, the Spring Equinox is upon us.

The moment when creatives ‘come alive’ with the energy of the longer days with lighter mornings. Nature is beginning to ‘wake up’ (here in England anyway!).

It can be tempting to rush ahead and create with urgency after the sleepy winter period of rest and reflection.

I offer a note of caution. Nature doesn’t rush a thing…

Slammed doors, rejection and failure

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:15:13 GMT

This time, a Dream-Maker’s Discussion with a multi-award winning author and teacher, whose magic wand is a pen and turns her life experiences into magic on (and off) the page. It never fails to amaze me how much people who dare to follow their dreams have in common; I find myself nodding along at the deep truths revealed in these kinds of discussions, a…

The Importance of New Rituals.

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:19:11 GMT

As I write this, I am looking out of a window at a semi-familiar landscape. I’ve travelled maybe ten miles along the coast to the town of Lytham St. Annes. The intention is a short focussed creative retreat.

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At the same time, in my hometown of Blackpool, around 4000 magicians are gathering for the world’s largest annual convention. I’ve been attending th…

Something I've been building slowly

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:14:20 GMT

It’s Imbolc; a time for ‘planting seeds’ (for real and as metaphor) and setting intentions for the coming months. A time of hope and new beginnings.

Well, I have been quietly and carefully planting a rather big seed over the last few years and this is the first time I am letting it ‘see the light’ (Halleluiah, Brother!).

This seed is called SQWAFFLE™ and …

It's NEW, it's NEWS, it's...

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:31:11 GMT

It’s been a while since I’ve let you know what dreams and schemes I have been working on in the studio-of-creative-love (or SOCL as I have never referred to it before, and likely never will again!).

You may have been wondering when my next painting will be released, or what’s been happening to the long-awaited sequel to Snowlands (readers were left with…

Nearly 50 Years Living the Dream

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:30:29 GMT

I love these long-form Dream-Maker Discussions. One of the highlights of conceiving The Dream-Maker’s Manifesto was having the chance to dig into my circle of creative friends and find out what makes them tick, how they stay motivated and how they turn their dreams into revenue streams.

This time, I’m delighted to have a ‘chat’ with one of my longest-st…

My biggest creative lesson learned in 2025

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 09:45:23 GMT

Happy New Year!

Welcome to my first Dream-Maker’s Manifesto article for 2026. I wanted to share with you two reflections which I have been contemplating over the Christmas holiday. The first is my biggest lesson learned in 2025 and how you might apply it to your own creative life. And the second is my hope for the coming twelve months.

(Also, I’ll share a…

Sod the stuffing!

The Dream-Maker's Manifesto — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:22:31 GMT

Less is more; a truism I have long practiced.

I want to talk about having a Zen Christmas, one with less tatt, less clutter, less stress and more deeply felt authentic wonder. High ideals, eh? Bear with me, I’ll give you a special Christmas gift if you keep reading. In fact, I’ll give you five!

Zen… and The Art of Christmas. I should write the book—ha! Na…