Why create?

Imagination…how do we define it? What is it? Why should we use it? Is it really that important or should it be “tossed out” like an old pair of socks? Do we ‘lose’ our imagination when we grow up?

Albert Einstein said, “the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” What a baffling quote by Einstein. One of the most brilliant minds emphasizes imagination. To what avail?

Anyone out there attend an imaginary tea party when they were little? What about pretending you were a bird flying so high in the sky as your wings glided, soaring higher and higher. Maybe you were a pirate and your ship was in your own backyard.

My imaginary friend, named Many More, attended my tea parties. We always had lots of ‘chatting’ among us. One day Mama asked me where Many More came from? I was insulted. A few days later while riding in the car an announcement came on,” and many more” is how it ended. I started hollering,”Mom, that’s my friend, Many More.”

My sister, Josephine, was a beautiful writer when I was little. I remember reading one of her papers she wrote when she was in high school. It was titled,”The Life of an Ant…” I read it with complete fascination. With words she had created beautiful imagery. I felt one with the little ant, seeing moment by moment through its eyes.

Words: lyrics to songs, poems, stories, they can transport us through time and space. They can touch the innermost chords of our soul. Words can evoke deep emotional responses from us. There is a “power” in words.

What makes a person respond to a piece of art? Is it something they need? Does it remind them of the joy of imagination, the bliss of childhood or does it capture a fond memory that holds a special place in their hearts? Do the colors ‘dancing across the canvas’ simply make them smile. Color is like a song but ‘speaks’ a visual language all on its own.

In creating, we lose ourselves and find ourselves at the same time. Our dreams can create unrest or great peace. We may not always remember them, but we can recall the ‘feeling’ they gave us.

Imagination is a place of wonder and awe. It’s the happy place many of us “left behind” in childhood. I know we can’t all be Peter Pan and fly off to Neverland, but imagination is a spark that lights a fire to the freedom to CREATE.

I encourage you to grab a blanket or a towel on a pretty day, lay it outside on the ground and you become ‘one with the towel’ for a little while. What do you see in the clouds? Is it a unicorn or a butterfly? What shapes can you find up there? Maybe it’s 1/2 elephant and 1/2 fish…an ‘elephish.’

Embrace your inner child…they are still there inside you. What were your dreams and aspirations? Through courage, face fears and find your creativity…your joy…your bliss. We only get one go at this (I know, it’s corny, couldn’t resist😉).