About Dream Up Now -

About Dream Up Now

Helping Teens
Move from Darkness into Light

Move from Darkness into Light.Dream Up Now is THE teen journal for creative self-discovery for young people ages 12-18, from Free Spirit Publishing, the leader in social-emotional learning for 40 years.

Featuring 18 recognized leaders in the arts exploring 36 dark and light emotions, this journal — and series of online and in-person workshops and pop-up camps — combines emotional and social wellness skills with engagement in various art forms: creative writing, art, movement, music, and poetry, moving from darkness into light.

How Does Using the Dream Up Now
Guided Journal Improve Your Community’s Future

Every school has its unique challenges, and cognitive and developmental psychology show us that managing emotions is the common thread for both problem-solving and creating a path to success.

By engaging independently with Dream Up Now™ (or in a workshop of 5-15 participants), you can facilitate a breakthrough program that will create a positive and lasting shift in your community.

What are Your Goals?
'Dream Up Now' can help!

Improve attendance, and increase school attachment
Increase social-emotional wellness
Increase emotional intelligence
Increase student organizational and time-management skills
Desire to supplement arts education using a fun, budget-friendly system
Inspire young people to set goals and achieve them

Have you ever had one student, or even a small group of students create a hostile, or challenging environment for the rest of your community? When a group of young people change for the better, the results can be equally as profound in your community, not only for the participants but for other students as well.

How will your educational environment improve
if you begin now with a gathering in a workshop?

Teens who have something to say but feel powerless or angry might express their feelings with destructive behavior. Completing the journal activities gives young people freedom create something that represents a portion of their inner world. The activities reveal creative, engaging ways to take control of their emotions, and the result is a happier, more efficient, and joyful life.

Education in adolescence is often deeply peer-oriented. During the teen years, young people frequently look to their friends to mirror who they are as they develop their self-image. Dream Up Now™ has activities to not only help its readers and workshop participants find friends, but to make a careful selection of friendships with others to improve their own life by sharing positive values and building a satisfying future by finding their unique passion and pursuing it. When a young person dares to share their art, they give others an opportunity to care about them.

By engaging independently with Dream Up Now™ (or in a workshop of 5-15 participants), you can facilitate a breakthrough program that will create a positive and lasting shift in your community.

Effectively Shift your Teen Community from Darkness into Light.

When a teen is given an opportunity to shine a light on their feelings, discovering the words or images to articulate pain, trauma, disappointment, or fear relieves it of its power. Expressing it with words, or visual images, or movement relieves pain and helps the participant to take inventory on their strengths, pinpoint their talents, and create a concrete plan for directing their days toward the completion of a heartfelt goal.

Teens desire this power.

Start learning now - Courses for teens and adults

“Dream Up Now is a great tool for encouraging teens to really think through their emotions, breaking down their responses to a wide variety of emotions and processing them creatively – through writing, drawing, music, reflection, planning and more.” – Christie Burnett, Childhood101.com