Until last week, it had been almost a year since I’ve remembered having a dream. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I had four very intense, very vivid dreams in the same night. They weren’t the kind of dreams I’m used to having either. They didn’t recap a day in my life, or anticipate tomorrow’s. They were much more meaningful, suspenseful—almost scary. In fact, after the fourth dream that night, I couldn’t bring myself to go back to sleep. In that dream, I was transported to Nazi Germany where I was an aged, worn, and dying Holocaust victim entrapped within a concentration camp. The sky was grey and gloomy. It was cold and drizzling. In the dream, the cold was intensified by tattered clothing, diminished health, a bleak outlook, and an overwhelming feeling of despair. I won’t go into everything else that happened, but that dream definitely served as a catalyst of deep thinking.

So what’s changed? Recently I was reminded of how valuable and fragile life is. Within a week, I lost a close friend, Jeremie Border, who was serving in Afghanistan and a family member, Vanessa Washington. A day prior to my Vanessa’s death, the alleged murderer of my cousin Trenod was sentenced to 25 years in prison. At the same time, I found myself forced to make difficult decisions. The day my cousin Vanessa died I was scheduled to photograph the Women in Innovation Summit 2012. I was notified of the news at 6:02 a.m. and was supposed to be at the conference at 8:00 a.m. What decision did I make? I photographed the event. Dealing with the conflicting emotions and constantly asking myself if I’m doing the right thing placed me in a period of reflection in which I had to come to terms with a few truths…

I love the work I do. But in dedicating almost every waking hour to it, I’ve essentially neglected the side of myself that is creative, exploratory, and inquisitive. Yes, I exercise those attributes in the context of work, but not in the context of my greater being. I thought back to the time I used to write poetry, read things unrelated to business, and listen and make music, and walking with the intention of arriving wherever I ended up. I decided to open myself back up to those things. Instead of not having time for…, I decided to again make time for…

As I continue this blog, it will become more of an exploration and personal narrative. Although I have always been my authentic self on michaelbmaine.com, I will share more of the “me” as a person. I’ll be sharing more art, music, and reflections. Don’t worry; there will still be commentary on business, marketing, and leadership. But my goal is to provide a more intimate experience with you, one in which you will get the full me. I encourage you to participate, as the reason I started this blog in the first place was to have a place where we can engage in conversation, learn, experience, and grow together.