About Myself

My name is Jon Bowen, and I was born in a Devonshire seaside town in 1962.
For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated by the phenomenon of consciousness, and our second reality of the dream world.
In my work as an artist, I still draw inspiration from dreams I had when I was just 2 or 3 years old! I followed my interests through formal study, reading Natural Sciences at Cambridge Universtiy, and gaining my doctorate in philosophy at Sheffield University Psychology department in 1989.
I have worked as a writer, musician and artist, on and off, for 25 years, and have exhibited and performed my work at a wide variety of venues, including the Tavistock Centre in London, and the Exeter Festival of Literature. During this time I've organised a diverse range of workshops and events on the theme of dreams and creativity.
15 years ago I began co-ordinating and officiating at ceremonies, working alongside some fine ritualists, including Sarah Lionheart, Caroline Born, Caroline Mackenzie and Wyon Stansfeld. These have included various seasonal celebrations, weddings and namings, as well as a host of smaller ceremonies.
Growing up through the 1960s and 70s I became very aware of, and deeply troubled by, the gradual loss of a sense of community in the West, and of the destruction and exploitation of the natural environment. Much of my work has thus been based on the ideal of creating and fostering a sense of community between people, together with raising awareness of environmental issues. Some of my creative projects have been supported by the Arts Council of England, and other projects by the late conservationist the Hon. Miriam Rothschild.
I started Dreamcraft in 2003 as a focus for people interested in creativity, ceremony and dreams, and as a vehicle for promoting the values I advocate more widely.