On the Relationship of Dreamer and Listener

Murch compare’s the working process between director and editor to a shared discovery of a dream:

In dream therapy there is a technique that pairs the patient—the dreamer, in this case—with someone who is there to listen to the dream. As soon as possible after waking, the dreamer gets together with his listener to review the dreams of the previous night. Frequently there is nothing, or just a single disappointing image, but this is usually enough to begin the process. Once the image is described, the listener’s job is to propose an imaginary sequence of events based on that fragment… the dream itself, hidden in the memory, rises to its own defence when it hears itself being challenged by an alternate version, and so reveals itself.

The relationship between director and editor is somewhat similar in that the director is generally the dreamer and the editor is the listener… it is the editor’s job to propose alternate scenarios as bait to encourage the sleeping dream to rise to its defense and thus reveal itself more fully. (p.26-27)

I think there is a lesson here on design process which is often seen as a purely creative process. Murch emphasizes the importance of both the role of dreamer/creator and the role of editor/listener. It is the coordination of the two which pushes the process forward. Similarly, in the course of a design process, I think the act of listening and responding is just as important as asserting a creative vision.