Teenagers all over the world are in the process of self-discovery, learning about their unique personalities, and trying to navigate the world around them. With all these changes and challenges, it’s natural for teens to struggle with self-expression and creativity. That’s why Dream Up Now: The Teen Journal for Creative Self-Discovery by Rayne Lacko is the perfect tool to help teenagers unleash their creative potential.
DREAM UP NOW: The Teen Journal for Creative Self-Discovery helps teens work together or independently to uncover, deal with, and resolve difficult emotions creatively.
Addressing 36 emotions commonly experienced by teens, the Dream Up Now guided journal is organized in emotion sets: each “dark”, painful emotion is presented with its “light,” positive complement.
With insights and inspiration from 18 diverse leaders in the arts, education, and emotional wellness sectors, Dream Up Now guides teens to use emotional and social wellness skills to move from dark, challenging emotions to light, empowering ones. Teens engage in creative activities within the pages of the journal—including creative writing, art, movement, music, and poetry—that help them transform difficult emotions such as confusion, perfectionism, pressure, or anxiety and to make space for pursuing the feelings they want to have more often—like confidence, worth, hope, and passion.
If you had to compare this book to any other book out there, which book would it be?
Dream Up Now embraces the themes and spirit of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, but is aimed specifically at teens. The book is full of arts-based, social-emotional learning activities that help young people move from darkness into light.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year. Why should someone buy THIS book?
Even in darkness, every Dream Up Now activity is designed to instill hope. These tools aim to teach teens to take control of their feelings. To choose how they wish their life to go. Many social-emotional learning methods tend to seek happiness as a destination, the endgame prize after sadness or depression. Feeling happy is good. But it’s what a teen does with their positive feelings that brings real change. Action matters. Gaining self-awareness allows teens to grow and make positive changes. When a young person cultivates feelings of happiness, of confidence, and of power, it’s potently meaningful because they did it themselves. A teen’s completed Journal serves as an artistic portfolio of self-understanding, transformation, and self-control—a tangible, living record of the growth they’ve accomplished.
Dream Up Now can help teens who are:
- In need of help with family or school relationships
- Struggling with emotional issues, sadness, stress, or pressure
- High-achieving but unsure how to focus their goals
- Not achieving their potential
- Lonely, isolated, or wishing to get plugged in
- Struggling with identity or the need for mastery of the self
Who is your target audience?
The primary audience for Dream Up Now: The Teen Journal for Creative Self-Discovery is teenagers ages 12 to 18 who may struggle with depression, anxiety, self-image issues, stress, family and school pressures, the expectations of social groups. They’re thinking about the future.
My ideal readers are teens experiencing a wide variety of emotions. They often wonder whom they can or should trust. Despite being surrounded by peers and family, they often feel lonely and misunderstood. Those who have or want a strong sense of self. Who are creative. They have or want hope.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage?
What an interesting question. Over the past several years, my research and exploration into emotions and social-emotional learning has taught me the value of “dark” emotions. The ones we often avoid, or try to bury, or pretend aren’t there until they overtake us in an angry outburst, or a physical illness, or a period of depression or anxiety. Lofty subjects like Jung’s theory of the shadow self take on new meaning when you’re making art with a sad kid who doesn’t have the words to describe their feelings. But, they can make picture, or choose a song playlist. I think I’ve uncovered the ways I was sad growing up, and the power that remains in those unexpressed emotions.
What I’ve discovered is that every emotion matters. There are healthy, creative ways to express every feeling in ways that draw us closer to others, and that builds our self-confidence and self-love.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since publishing your work?
Like many authors, it is an absolute delight to touch a reader’s heart. Over the months (or years) it takes to complete a book, the reader—whoever he, she, or they might be—is always present in my mind. So when a reader reaches out to say they enjoyed reading my work, I am deeply grateful.
I’ve been so touched by educators who tell me how they applied my social-emotional learning activities in their classrooms, and the positive results they experienced with a student who was struggling. I am so thankful. It’s my goal that my books become real and potent tools for change.
Are your characters pure fiction, or did you draw from people you know?
There is a chapter in DREAM UP NOW where I talk frankly about my experiences with anxiety. How I follow my passion for writing and teaching creative writing to teens even though I am not a big fan of public speaking. Writing that chapter was a big lesson in vulnerability for me. It helped me break through my aversion to writing about myself. I love talking about writing, though! Even when I’m feeling shy or anxious, if the topic turns to writing, it’s hard to get me to stop.
What do you hope to accomplish with your book other than selling it?
I hope both my fiction and my nonfiction inspire readers to create the life they choose to live. And I hope my writing instills a deep sense of self-respect and the joyful pursuit of their goals.
I want my readers to feel encouraged to face the biggest challenges of their lives. To learn about who they are and what they want—and they go after it with all their heart.
How can our readers get in touch with you?
Readers are welcome to learn more about my books, online courses, and creativity workshops on www.raynelacko.com.
For parents, educators, librarians and counselors, hop on over to www.dreamupnow.com to learn about my arts-based, social-emotional learning books and courses!
https://www.facebook.com/dreamupnowjournal
My email is raynelacko@gmail.com
Purchase Dream Up Now: https://amzn.to/3LIFi4i
Bulk discounts available through Free Spirit Publishing, the leader in social-emotional learning materials for over 40 years: https://www.freespirit.com/social-and-emotional-learning-for-kids-and-teens/dream-up-now-rayne-lacko-lesley-holmes-creative-self-expression
Download a FREE Leader’s Guide to learn how to use Dream Up Now in your classroom, counseling, or therapy practice: https://www.freespirit.com/leaders-guide-to-dream-up-now-rayne-lacko-leslie-holmes
Coming soon: The Secret Song of Shelby Rey
