I learned to dream through reading, learned to create dreams

The words “I learned to dream through reading, learned to create dreams through writing, and learned to develop dreamers through teaching. I shall always be a dreamer. Come dream with me,” were spoken by Sharon Draper, an acclaimed author and teacher whose works have inspired generations of young readers to see the world not as it is, but as it might be. These words are not only a reflection on her life’s work—they are a hymn to the power of imagination, education, and the sacred continuity of human creativity. In this declaration, Draper traces the journey of the spirit from dreamer to creator to guide, showing how each stage of learning and teaching forms a living chain of inspiration that binds one generation to the next.

When Draper says she “learned to dream through reading,” she speaks of the way stories open the gates of possibility. Books are not merely collections of words—they are windows to infinity, mirrors of the soul. Through reading, a person learns that life is vast and that even in struggle, beauty can be found. For the child who reads, the world expands; for the adult who reads, the heart deepens. Reading plants the seeds of imagination, those silent flames that one day grow into the great fires of creation. Thus, her first lesson is one of awakening—to dream is to live beyond the limits of what the eyes can see.

But Draper’s journey does not end there. “I learned to create dreams through writing,” she continues, reminding us that to dream is not enough unless we give those dreams form. Writing transforms imagination into legacy—it is the act of shaping thought into existence. Through the written word, Draper became not just a dreamer but a weaver of dreams, breathing life into characters and worlds that speak to the minds and hearts of countless readers. In this transformation from reader to writer, she reveals a universal truth: every creation begins in wonder but matures in expression. The dream becomes real when it is shared.

Then comes the highest calling: “I learned to develop dreamers through teaching.” Here, Draper ascends from the realm of personal creation to that of communal purpose. Teaching is the noblest art, for it multiplies light. The teacher does not keep the dream for herself—she plants it in others, nurturing the courage to imagine and the skill to create. In this, Draper stands among the ancient line of sages, from Socrates to Confucius, who understood that education is not the filling of a vessel, but the kindling of a flame. Through teaching, she transforms her students into inheritors of the same power that once awakened her.

The phrase “I shall always be a dreamer” is a vow—a declaration of eternal youthfulness of the soul. For to dream is to remain alive, curious, and ever open to wonder. The dreamer does not grow old, for imagination is the fountain of renewal. In the ancient tales, it is always the dreamers who change the course of the world: Da Vinci, who dreamed of flying; Marie Curie, who dreamed of harnessing invisible power; Martin Luther King Jr., who dreamed of justice and peace. Draper’s words place her within this lineage, reminding us that every dream, no matter how humble, carries within it the potential to shape the future.

Her final invitation—“Come dream with me”—is not a command but a gesture of inclusion. It is the open hand of a mentor, a poet, a human being who believes that creativity is not a solitary act, but a shared journey. In this invitation lies her greatest wisdom: that dreams flourish in community. When one person dares to dream, others find permission to do the same. The world changes not when one dreamer rises above the rest, but when many hearts awaken together, each carrying their own spark of vision.

So, dear reader, let this teaching take root in you. Read widely, so that your mind may dream. Write bravely, so that your dreams may live. Teach generously, so that others may learn to dream as well. Do not let the burdens of the world silence your imagination, for dreaming is not escape—it is creation. Sharon Draper’s words are a reminder that the dreamer is the seed of every civilization, the source of every work of art, the beginning of every act of love.

And so, when she says, “Come dream with me,” hear it as a sacred calling. Accept it with humility and courage. For the dreamer does not walk alone—the dreamer builds bridges between souls. And those bridges, made of words, faith, and vision, are what carry humanity forward through the endless night toward the light of a new dawn.