Secret Doorways

“She had always lived her best life in dreams. She knew no greater pleasure than that moment of passage into the other place, when her limbs grew warm and heavy and the sparkling darkness behind her lids became ordered and doors opened; when conscious thought grew owl's wings and talons and became other than conscious.”
~ John Crowley, Little, Big


Doors pop up in my artwork pretty often. As you are no doubt aware, doors and doorways have always been imbued with symbolic meanings, going back to the very beginnings of literature, including the Bible.




 Doors, gateways, or thresholds often symbolize transitions, transformation, passage from one type of reality to another (Dorothy opens the door of her house and steps into a completely different world.), from reality to non-reality, or from being awake to sleeping, and vice versa. They may also stand for entrance or exit, communication, initiation, or opportunity.



 If closed, they can represent mystery, boundaries, and barriers (Will the gates of the Emerald City be opened? At first Dorothy and her friends are told to "go away!")




Often it is the task of the hero of the story to pass through a door or gateway in order to complete their quest (Can Dorothy escape from the room where the Wicked Witch has her imprisoned?).




 When the character in a story stands before a door, they must make a critical choice, to enter/exit or not. Frequently, this is an important turning point which moves the story forward. 




Our everyday speech is full of idioms about doors:





“There's a difference between fear and paralysis. And I've learned that I don't have to "grow up" to be open to opportunity, to be willing to step through doors without being pushed. I just have to be brave. I just have to be slightly braver than I am scared.”
~ Victoria Schwab