Cultivating the Seeds of Imagination
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” —Einstein
How do we cultivate the seeds of imagination and creativity?
Have you ever hungered for adventure, or wished you could be one of those initiators who are changing and creating things? We all have a vivid and highly active imagination, that’s what makes humans so fascinating, but not everyone feels they are creative. Why is that, and how can we ignite that creative spark?
No one would be on social media if we didn’t hunger for ideas, encouragement, and stimulation, but most of the time we are just looking at variations of ourselves. Humans need validation. We want assurance that who we are is acceptable. Therefore, we follow, look at, and read about things that interest us. Things we already know about or have experienced in our lives, or wish we could do. (Go back and read that last sentence and replace us with ‘me,’ we with ‘I,’ and our with ‘my.’ See how it’s all about you?)
If you want to be more imaginative and creative, try moving outside of this comforting reflection and start exploring the unknown.
Experience Something You Know Nothing About or that Makes You Uncomfortable
The magic, or the imagination, begins when we stop looking at ourselves and start looking at something we know nothing about.
I have always been a great reader. I read magazines, books, newspapers, blogs, social media, online articles, signs, art, music, and recipes. I also listen to books, podcasts, movies, music, and shows. These sources of inspiration feed my thirst for knowledge, but it’s the ones that make me uncomfortable, the things I don’t understand or know nothing about, that encourage imaginative thought. If you typically read non-fiction, try reading fiction. If you hate museums, try going to museums. If you only watch English-speaking movies, try watching films with subtitles that take place in a foreign country.
You need to get uncomfortable to overcome that fear of the unknown. If you pass over a book, movie, or adventure with the words, “I don’t like it, that annoys me, or that’s just not for me,” then you should try reading, watching, or doing it.
Travel to Encourage the Imagination
When you travel, do you often return to the same place? Or do you look for places with similar activities you ‘like to do when you travel?’ Change it up. It’s the trips that make you nervous, challenge you, or introduce you to new cultures and experiences that will inspire imaginative thought.
For example, Caribbean resorts with white sands and turquoise waters are often considered the ultimate vacation destination. But in reality, many beach resorts are boring with little to do but eat, drink, snorkel, and shop. That may be fine for the first visit but without a challenge (a hike to a volcano, a boat ride on a tumultuous sea, strange and exotic foods, getting lost in a city where no one speaks English, driving on the ‘other side’ of the road, etc.) you’ll return home the same boring person you were when you left, with no stories to tell or fascinating photos to share.
Getting Creative
Imagination gives birth to creativity, but imagination alone is insufficient to produce creativity. According to the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity, there are two types of imaginative thought, social and temporal, and we need them both to bring forth creativity.
Social imagination allows us to conceive of and reflect on multiple social scenarios and their implication—looking at people, places, and things that are different from our own and then reflecting on how that changes things. This promotes creativity by helping us understand and experience human diversity and potential, not just in ourselves, but in others.
Whereas, temporal imagination is more like time travel—letting the mind wander. It leads to creativity by allowing us to engage in opposing or future-oriented thought. A bit like dreaming.
For creativity to happen, individuals need to experience both types of imaginative thought. They need to be open to new experiences, have genuine motivation towards change, move outside of their comfort zones, and begin to explore the unknown with a truly open mind.
Experience Wanderlust
"For my part," writes Robert Louis Stevenson in Travels with a Donkey, "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." Wanderlust is a lust for wandering, coming from the German word, wander, which means "to hike or roam about," and lust means "pleasure or delight."
If you hunger for something new, inspiring, or creative in your life, chances are you are you’re bored. The art of wanderlust can help you move past this. By incorporating wanderlust into your life you can begin to open new worlds. How do you do this? Change the channel. Mix it up. Be open to new experiences and new ways of thinking. There is only one thing holding you back, and that’s fear. Fear of change and fear of acceptance.
Something that’s easily overcome by simply cultivating those seeds of imagination.
Ideas for Cultivating Seeds of Imagination:
Seek new adventures and journeys that challenge you
Challenge your sense of reality or perception
Daydream or let your mind wander
Ask questions, be inquisitive, and read about subjects you know nothing about (even if they don’t interest you)
Play games or do activities like a child (watch cartoons, color, read children’s books—especially if no one read them to you as a child)
Watch the stars, go to museums, listen to live music, see plays, the ballet, the opera… (and if you say, “I have no interest in that,” or “I don’t like how that looks, sounds, or feels,” that’s the biggest reason you should try it! And when you do experience it, open your mind to it, and let it take you somewhere you’ve never been before)
Write, read, listen, and tell stories
Books for inspiring Imagination
The Trickster's Hat: A Mischievous Apprenticeship in Creativity
You Are an Artist: Assignments to Spark Creation
Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All
Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic
Alice in Wonderland books
Learn more about Travel and Wanderlust.