Tapping Into Our Imaginations

“The world belongs to those who cross many bridges in their imagination
before others see even a single bridge.”

~Chinese proverb~

As children most of us are able to tap into our imaginations with ease. Some of us had imaginary friends, others of us can allow ourselves to become anything we desire. And others of us read stories and books and can experience them as though we’re there, a character in the story as real as real can be.

But, when it comes to tapping into our imaginations as adults, I’m often reminded of the movie Miracle on 34^th Street. For those of you not familiar with this holiday classic, long story short, a divorcee is raising her little girl named Susan to see the world hyper-realistically.

At one point in the movie Doris, the mother says, “And by filling them full of fairy tales they grow up considering life a fantasy instead of reality.” So later, when Susan was asked if she knew what the imagination is, she answered, “That’s when you see things that aren’t really there.”

And, yes that can be true in some instances. But, the answer came, “Well, not exactly, no — to me the imagination is a place all by itself. A very wonderful country. You’ve heard of the British Nation and the French Nation? Well, this is the Imagination. And once you get there you can do almost anything you want.”

Bitter Reality

As adults we’re often faced with so much bitter reality, that it’s hard to consider letting ourselves go and revisit this wonderful familiar old place known as the Imagination. We often focus only on the problems, but by allowing ourselves to tap into our imagination we can find unexpected solutions.

Instead of keeping this type of thinking from our very real and everyday lives, allowing ourselves to visit Imagination can in fact become a very powerful tool with almost endless uses and benefits when it comes to problem solving. Bringing some imaginary thinking into our everyday lives can also make it seem less mundane and well…more magical.

As writers, no matter the genre, being able to access our imaginations is paramount to our productivity. Without being able to let go and access our imaginations our creativity suffers. Being able to see things from a whole new perspective can allow us to experience amazing breakthroughs.

Foster Your Ideas

Even if you feel your subject matter is ‘dull’ or it has set parameters and doesn’t seem to leave much space for creativity, tapping into your imagination can allow you to can bring your own fresh ideas to the subject. It can give you new avenues for research. And, it can help you to figure out whether things can be done differently or better.

When we allow ourselves to be more imaginative we foster new, different and more creative ideas. When writing, an idea is only the beginning. It has to be nurtured and expanded on before it becomes pliable enough to turn into a book, article, story, or even a sales letter.

Using our imaginations also help us step into the shoes of our characters or audience. We can have and insight into what they’re thinking and feeling and want or need from us. This let’s us know how we can best entertain them or help them solve their greatest challenge.

The writer who’s willing to tap into their imagination is the one who asks: what if? Does it always have to be the same way? Could I try to write it this way instead? What if I do things this way? They’re the same ones who are always thinking outside the proverbial box.

Passport to Imagination

We can start the journey by simply telling ourselves it’s o.k. to tap into our imaginations. That it will awaken our creativity and curiosity. Two very important traits for any writer to possess. We can also take time out to stop and observe the world around us.

People watching is a great way to spur the imagination. Sit outside in the park and simply watch the people around you. What are they up to? Why are they there? Are they meeting someone? Are the alone? Do they seem to need assistance in any way? Do they look lost? Do they look confident? Answering these questions can give us wonderful ideas from which we can create.

We all have imaginations. The only difference is whether or not we choose to punch our passport and take the journey and experience what they have to offer. When we fall into adulting it’s easy to forget that we have the ability to take a trip to Imagination any time we want.