Sometimes I lack the talent or time to illustrate or communicate ideas, especially from my novels. I've ended up with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of these layered composites. Each one is a visual prompt, and this selection covers scenes or concepts from two of my books with a sketch or outline from a third. I have an entirely visual memory. Even as a writer, I remember scenes from books as if they were memories, movies or dreams -- this is just as true of the stories I write as those I read. In fact I can only remember my own stories by remembering the physical worlds and characters I imagined. 

In that sense, these composites act as multidimensional mnemonics that are nevertheless meaningless to anyone else.

Or are they? Meaning is co-created and while my dream sequences might not serve the same purpose to anyone else, I'm not sure it matters. They could spark an entirely different set of mind maps or thoughts -- or nothing at all. 

I've never been sure if these count as art or photography or anything else. They are not AI-generated and yet I still feel like I've no right to claim them. For something so saturated with personal signposts, they somehow feel entirely external. Perhaps they really are like dreams that are starting to fade.

All layers are made with images downloaded free for use from Unsplash.