'Dreame' big

Whimsical start-up turns life into art.

By RACHEL MYERSON
‘Thesis.’ (photo credit: DREAME)
‘Thesis.’
(photo credit: DREAME)
We spend one-third of our lives dreaming, perhaps closer to half if you include daydreams.
Regrettably, discussing dreaming puts you at risk of being labeled “such a hippie,” as Sharonna Karni Cohen was, when she began logging her night dreams, and researching the theory of them.
“The core understanding of dreams is seeing trends, understanding that there is a huge amount of data in our subconscious, and seeing how it is linked to our conscious lives – what we talk about, what we experience, music that we listen to.”
Cohen’s brainchild, Dreame (pronounced “dream-y”), offers a visualization of our subconscious; a glimpse of an under-appreciated but rich source of inspiration, analysis and self-awareness.
This innovative start-up began four years ago, when Cohen found herself chatting to two engineers on a bench in Tel Aviv – a fleeting encounter that proved to be far more than a good natter.
“We became really good friends, as you do in Israel. I was so inspired by their lives, how hard they work and the startup mind-set. I was bored with selfies and pictures of cats on the social media; there is more to our generation in terms of how we express who we are. I find the more we are connected online, the less we dream and imagine things. I was depressed about what was going on.”
‘Phone case.’ (photo credit: DREAME)
‘Phone case.’ (photo credit: DREAME)
Spurred into action, Cohen thought about what she enjoyed, and how to turn it into a living. Inspired by an art project she had organized for charity, wherein 80 artists used the materials of a due-to-be demolished house for their creations, Cohen knew that she wanted to continue to be involved with the art world.
“The project taught me that art doesn’t have to be on a wall and that it can be inspired by myriad things.”
Consequently, Dreame came into being, “a new way to capture a memory, thought or fantasy and make it tangible.”
The start-up invites customers to describe their dreams to an artist, who proceeds to illustrate it in his or her own style. Cohen initially reached out to 50 artists, saying, “Hi, I like to do crazy things with art, would you like to illustrate people’s dreams?” The artists responded to her proposal enthusiastically.
“The artists tap into the deeper secrets of people they don’t know from all over the world, and get paid for it!” Customers choose the artist they wish to work with, picking from a wide range of styles, and selecting the one that best fits their dream. Currently, there are more than 500 artists from some 30 countries to choose from.
Not all artists are suited to Dreame.
“Our artists need to know how to read every sentence, not say, ‘Oh, there was the word cat in that paragraph,’ then create a cat! They must be able co-create with another person.”
They must also be able to visualize customers’ typically abstract descriptions.
‘Food pyramid.’ (photo credit: DREAME)
‘Food pyramid.’ (photo credit: DREAME)
“No one words their dream in a way that’s fitting for an artist. You say what comes to the surface of your mind – with no beginning, middle or end – then the artist interprets it.”
Descriptions tend to focus on people and locations, sometimes with accompanying photographs. The new Dreame app, currently in progress, will allow customers to attach colors to their dreams, or share their favorite songs, in order for the artist to know them a little better, beyond the dream they have submitted.
COHEN HAS succeeded in avoiding Dreame’s biggest hazard: becoming a niche product that appeals only to hippies or creative types. She cannot pinpoint a “typical” customer, other than to note that their largest customer base is in the US, with Israel in the top five.
Some 60% of customers are males. “It just goes to show that you can never assume anything.” Common themes are memories embedded with emotions that have not yet been captured.
“While my goal is to create a profitable business, the ultimate purpose is to show that every one of us is creative, in one way or another.
I want people to feel that they can create something beautiful from their mind. We all have an amazing imagination, and the ability to come up with these incredible stories. Fully 40% of our customers return for precisely that reason: they can feel like a creator.”
Customers may initially experience difficulty in tapping into their creativity and envisioning their dreams, but “once you start unleashing anything from your mind, it naturally comes out.” Customers often find that their illustrations are not what they expected, helping them to see something completely new. This is particularly valuable to entrepreneurs, whose visions turned into artworks offer a different perspective and spark new ideas.
Cohen’s “wow moment” was, fittingly, spurred on by her daydreams.
“I realized that anything our minds can conceptualize can be turned into something tangible, that non-subconscious dreams can also be turned into art; wishes for the new year, a memory without a photo, an Instagram profile turned into a 21st-century portrait.”
Cohen captured her revelation in an autumnal illustration “inspired by a moment in my life while listening to [musician] Nick Drake. I had been crying while sitting on my carpet. I wanted to capture this scene; it is when I realized that sometimes crying can be the greatest cathartic experience because you are reminded of what it is to feel. I wanted to turn this feeling into art.”
The intimate nature of dreaming means that Cohen’s work is often emotive.
“I’ve cried on multiple occasions, because I’ve never been good at creating something beautiful and I can now allow people to do that from the purest form – our minds, our dreams. I cry when the artwork has turned out beautifully.
Once, an artwork arrived and I almost fell off my chair because I knew the customer would be so shocked, and I was right.”
It is a joy to talk with Cohen and realize how intertwined she becomes with her customer, rejoicing alongside them and sharing in their lessons. She relates a particular commission of a dream about a father who had died.
“The customer was so touched that an artist in China, so far away from them, could create such a meaningful piece.”
It now hangs above the customer’s bed.
Another customer commissioned a piece illustrating a bad dream about an ex-boyfriend. “I don’t know what she’s done with it now!” Sometimes dreams exceed the initial commission. One regular customer dreamt that she was being chased by a giant food pyramid, while carrying an iPad; “it is quintessential 21st century; the artwork is stunning, we’ve sold it as limited edition, the customer is so happy people around the world are hanging her subconscious!”
The intimate nature of dreaming means the works are often emotive (photo credit: DREAME)
The intimate nature of dreaming means the works are often emotive (photo credit: DREAME)
CURRENTLY, DREAME is broadening its focus from artwork to be framed and hung, to printing its works on a wider range of visible products. One of the company’s most popular recent commissions is “the Wish List.” People send in 10 wishes – I want to meditate more, I want to feel happy in myself, to travel, etc. – to be turned into artworks gracing phone covers, a private to-do list which can be comprehended only by the customers themselves, allowing them to visualize their goals throughout the day.
Similarly, yoga mats are a priority.
“The goal over the next year is to make Dreame a brand that everyone can recognize, to expand our global network – in addition to a platform for expressing oneself, a way to connect with people on the other side of the world, to find a way of communicating even if the two parties don’t speak the same language.”
Cohen is modest about her growing success, attributing much of it to the support she has received here in Israel.
“I think there is something so special about the Start-Up Nation. I have 10 “advisers” who give their time freely; I don’t think I would have that platform of support anywhere else in the world.
Even meeting two guys on a bench wouldn’t have happened in [my hometown of] London.”
Whatever the secret to her success may be, the Start-Up Nation is a better place with Sharonna Karni Cohen involved.
In this fast-paced environment, a product targeting looking inwards, drawing inspiration from deep inside yourself, and uncovering your creativity is a welcome break. Cohen seems to be just the leader we need to fill the void of creatively focused companies and put art back on the business map.
Don’t just read it – experience it! Dreame is offering a special Hanukka discount to Metro readers. Enter the code: ilovejp at the checkout to claim it.