How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay?

I’ve created an audio version of my book of dreams — an experimental album of narrated dream stories set to atmospheric musical scores. I would like to share with you my perceptions — or rather, how I have listened to my soul speaking to me in the language of dreams.

In these recordings, I am joined by the voices of my creative allies, who have brought these texts to life in ways I could never have imagined. I am deeply grateful for their spirited, thoughtful, and compassionate readings.

During sleep, the body and mind repair themselves in order to thrive. It is a time of restoration, where essential truths are revealed in the realm of dreams, engaging all the senses. In dreams, the perception of time and space defies scientific laws. There are no rules in these surreal vistas, only an invitation to explore, untethered, and to uncover the true nature of our fears and desires.

Throughout history, a reverence for the power and meaning of dreams has shaped civilisations. Dreams provide us with a potent awareness of ourselves and our place in the world.

We sleep. We dream.

Words, music, production & concept by Gaynor Perry.

Flute: Sarah Anne Robins (tracks 2 & 29) 

Violin: Noel Vine (track 13) 

Clarinet: Robert Schuck (track 13) 

Organ: Jessica Lauren (track 10) 

Whistling: Noko 440 (track 15) 

Mastered by Brian Lucey (except 30) Simon Gibson (track 30) 

Cover art & photography by Gaynor Perry 

The Narrators (image below):

Top L-R Gaynor Perry, Deborah Griffin. Middle L-R Kate Daisy Grant, Simone Austwick, Jemima Price, Jessica Lauren. Bottom L-R Raven Kaliana, Lynne Manzi, Amanda Hull, Maria Rosamojo.

Hear the intro

My intention in creating this work is to transcribe stories delivered in the dream state directly from the subconscious and to describe these sensory experiences musically, creating richly atmospheric landscapes through which the intangible and ephemeral can be brought to life. The aim is to provide anecdotal evidence of the innate intelligence residing within each of us — an intelligence that guides and heals us throughout our lifetime.

The dreams conveyed in this body of work were harvested over a period of three years. Many of them highlight areas of unresolved emotional trauma — experiences that are difficult to understand and process. These dreams offer me a lens through which to assimilate these experiences into my being. I have endeavoured to write frank and literal accounts of what I saw, felt, and heard. My subconscious calibrates these dreams to provide me with the insight and sensory release required to maintain equilibrium and thrive.

I am presenting this intimate body of work for public display because I wish to share my experiences of communication with the self. I believe this connection is the truest bond we can attain, and yet it is one that is often dissociated. I also believe that the information from the subconscious mind is the most vital and profound insight available to us.

Please contact me if you would like to preview or download this album. 

Listen

Listen

Listen

Excerpt

Listen

Listen

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt

Listen

Listen

Three Acorns

Thanks for visiting!

Blue Bear

Blue Bear

40 x 40 cm, oil on board

This painting & photographs of the bear appear in my book 

How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay.

How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay (a book of dreams)

Preview Here

During sleep, the body and mind repair themselves in order to thrive. It is a time of restoration, where essential truths are revealed in the realm of dreams, engaging all the senses. In dreams, the perception of time and space defies scientific laws. There are no rules in these surreal vistas, only an invitation to explore, untethered, and to uncover the true nature of our fears and desires.

Throughout history, a reverence for the power and meaning of dreams has shaped civilisations. Dreams provide us with a potent awareness of ourselves and our place in the world.

We sleep. We dream.

How Shall I Get Elephants to Stay is a personal account of my vivid dreams, brought to life through my photographs, paintings, and sculptures. The title itself comes from a dream in which I saw myself writing this book. It stands as my testimony to the beauty, wonder, and mystery of the natural world — both within and around us.

In this book, the nature and landscape photographs are unplanned and spontaneous; nothing is staged. Many of them were captured on my phone in the moment they were needed. I'm fascinated by the way dreams and waking life intertwine, often revealing uncanny metaphors that amplify subconscious messages. Bringing this nocturnal awareness into daylight helps me forge a deeper connection with my surroundings, understand my place in the world, and perceive the subtle reciprocity between myself and the environment.

Worldly Possessions – a song beginning with water and ending with flesh.

"In her book How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay Gaynor brings mythical beauty and depth to all her subjects - the human body, rich landscapes and abandoned detritus of our 'civilised' way of life. Her dream stories add yet more otherworldly mystery and a fairytale lens of significance to her perceptions of our external world. A magical, internal journey into the subconscious and awe of our natural surroundings. It's a highly feminine, moonlit exploration into the endless paths within our selves". Kate Daisy Grant - musician (www.katedaisygrant.com), Somatic Experiencing practitioner, Body Psychotherapist

HERE'S THE AUDIO VERSION - HOW SHALL I GET ELEPHANTS TO STAY?

The Solution

80 x 41.5 cm, oil on board

We have to transport a large horse along the waterway on a boat, and when we come to the end of the waterway, we disembark. 

There’s a turnstile to get through and steep concrete steps down to the road. Across the road is a field where the horse will live. We wonder how we will get the horse through the turnstile, let alone down the steep steps.

Then I remember that we don’t need to try and get the horse through the turnstile at all, as next to it is a narrow chalky path cutting down the embankment to the road. Problem solved. 

Having realised this, we turn around to fetch the horse only to see that he has shrunk to the size of a dog. We can now simply carry him down in our arms. We look at him and wonder what his name might be. We all agree at once that his name must be Sebastian. We laugh. 

We put him on a coffee table and give him a drink of water. As he drinks he becomes invisible; only a watery outline remains and this we can only see at certain angles. 

A Dream

How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay

How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay
oil on board, 40 x 40 cm

Here is the spoken word and soundscape album...

Here is the exhibition ...