….and like any muscle it needs exercise. Just as our limbs would wither if we didn’t use them so it is with our imagination. Before imagination, in very small children there is first imitation, tiny children imitate everything around them, not just the ‘doing’ but also the feeling and the environment. This is also called play. Later there is imagination itself which arises out of this imitation. Imitation stimulates creativity (eg: cooking in the sandpit).
So, is imagination a useful and necessary attribute to have as we grow to adulthood?
I really believe that an active and healthy imagination is crucial in so many ways including, but certainly not limited to, literacy; problem solving; enabling us to articulate ideas and plans; reasoning and debating; writing business plans; delivering presentations; creating new opportunities; thinking outside the box; living to our fullest potential. Research scientist and artist alike need strong imaginative forces to do their work well.
Facts can inform us; arguments can persuade us but it is the well told story that really reaches out to inspire us… As a storyteller I work with all kinds of people, adults and children, to stimulate and improve their imaginations.
Here are my ten suggestions to help you strengthen your imagination and give these muscles a good workout!
1) Lie on your back, looking up at the clouds and see what pictures emerge and disappear
2) Let yourself daydream, so that your thoughts wander as your eyes and ears fall on new images and sounds, without any need to create anything
3)Unplug yourself from electronic devices for a day and just get a little bit bored
4) When travelling do a little ‘people watching’. You could even say hello to someone and strike up a conversation and hear their story
5) Tell the story of your day, to someone you love or out loud to yourself, just before bedtime. I suggest that you tell it backwards beginning at the end of your day and working through to the beginning. Your imagination will be thrilled!
6) Write (or draw) a journal or diary for 5 – 10 minutes every day
7) Find a small creature (ant or spider perhaps) and watch it for a full 5 minutes. This is more difficult than it seems!
8) Listen to children chattering and playing with interrupting, correcting or guiding them
9) Dance to your favourite music track, alone, in your bedroom or sitting room
10) Play a musical instrument for 5 minutes a day (recorder/penny whistle/tambourine)
Above all enjoy the experience that you have, right now, with all your senses., with your eyes and ears open, smell the air, touch and taste consciously, really alive to the moment, for just a few minutes every day.
If you want to learn more about storytelling why not join a story club in your area or attend a storytelling workshop for a day/weekend/week/month! Check out The International School of Storytelling in East Sussex and The Story Museum in Oxford.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you exercise your imaginations?