We should use our imagination more.

We should use our imaginations more

Lately, I have been spending a great amount of time remembering when I used my imagination as a kid. I recall sitting outside conjuring up different adventures to entertain myself. Being an only child afforded me endless freedom to create whole worlds without external input. Especially in the wintertime because often I was the only person outside. There was a vacant lot next to our home and the overgrowth of new grass and trees meant countless forest journeys. Old horror movies my mom used to watch was my needed fuel to ignite countless fantasies. There was always a mansion I was running from during the night escaping the inside evils that threaten to keep me from the outside world. Wearing long velvet capes and white cotton evening dresses, the wind billowing the fabric which I nearly caught on underbrush. Thick broken tree branches were my staffs and large hollowed fallen trees my hiding spaces. Black birds flying above I suspected of revealing my location. Deeres were friends showing me safe passages through the dark woods. Barn owls were surprise scares sitting high in trees with their giant eyes resembling ghosts watching me along the way.

I developed a fascination with barn owls because living in the city you don’t see any and they were a rarity at the local zoo. I thought owls were scary creations in books, tv shows, and movies. To see a barn owl in real life would have been exciting to me when I was younger as it would have signified that there is a world beyond the city limits. In my imagination owls were the guides that helped me to find a new home, food, and security. Owls, especially barn owls, have come to represent for me that there is something greater and beyond where I find myself now.

Real world stressors can stifle our imaginations if not extinguished completely as adults. Employers tout that they are seeking candidates with big imaginations only to minimally require its use in the daily operations of work. If one is not an artist the use of your imagination is not something regularly activated daily. This is really sad because using your imagination keeps loneliness at bay, makes you feel good, provides an escape from the stress of the real world. Using imagination has created hundreds wonderful things like Disneyland, Star Wars, iPhone, too many things to cite. Have you ever looked at something and thought how did it come to exist? I often do this when looking at food and wonder who thought “hey what if I put this with that and cook it?” (see Panera’s Mac & Cheese sandwich). Someone used their imagination to create and now whatever they imagine exist in reality. So cool.

Life can be hard and ugly. Humans have imaginations as an innate coping mechanism for dealing with stress. It is free fun and I highly recommend to anyone to take very brief moments throughout their day to sit and imagine. Create worlds in which you can do anything, make anything, and owe no one any excuse or explanation for any of it. I caution that I am not encouraging using your imagination to hurt or harm. Keep that private because I cannot tell you not to, I am just stating I am not advocating such use of imagining.

Any hoot – I started going back outside to use my imagination again. On stressful days I go outside, I sit down and close my eyes to hear the sound of the wind, feel the bite of frigid air on my skin and I am right back in my woodland area. Older and wiser my imagination flourishes with clearer details of smells, sounds, and feels. The barn owls lead back to the mansion to make it a home where I rule the land. Blackbirds fly above serving as my security team keeping me knowledgeable of enemy whereabouts. The cape and dressing gown I previously wore in my imaged adventures were replaced with warmer clothing that is just as fancy. I did this yesterday and when I open my eyes the world felt less hard and ugly, and to my surprise sat a barn owl in a tree watching me with those large ghostly eyes.