I dreamt my hand was rented, and the landlord was very pleased

In the dream my brush moved flawlessly — every stroke exactly right — and someone kept nodding from the doorway, saying yes, yes, it's all going according to the agreement. I woke up and my fingers were cold, like a house you're only allowed to occupy when the owner is watching. That's what mastery feels like lately: a tenancy, not a possession. The better the line, the louder the lease.