[photo by Per Ola Wiberg]
As children we are indulged. We can live in a fantasy land and have imaginary friends, develop elaborate and impossible plans and draw innumerable pictures of unidentifiable objects. We could call it whatever we wanted and our parents would simply say, “Oh, yeah. I can see that now.”
Somewhere along the line though we get the subtle message imagination is okay for kids but mature people must live in the real world. People no longer think it’s cute when you tell them about your island home where dragons live or introduce them to your best friend Poon, the wooden spoon.
That’s kind of sad. Because imagination is the Christopher Columbus of our minds. Sometimes it falls off the edge of the world but sometimes it discovers a new land that turns out to be pretty useful.
Sure, it may not be India like he thought it was, but it’s still useful.
“Find some time to be bored out of your mind.”
In order to find new ways of thinking we have to allow ourselves to look foolish and to fail. Failure and success are two sides of the same coin, they come together. Failure is only a result, not a value judgment.
As adults our minds have become used to suppressing our creative impulses and we have to relearn how to use those skills. It takes practice. Here are some ideas which should help:
Get isolated
Spend time alone, without distractions. Getting away from people and attention-demanding media allows our mind a chance to breathe. I would even go one step further and say, find some time to be bored out of your mind.
As a child I spent many hours being dragged from one place to another by my parents. Rarely was this a playground or a toy store. Most often it was a place where sitting quietly was the only appropriate activity. This meant I spent a lot of time finding mental activities to occupy my imagination.
When was the last time you were really bored? We live in an information abundant society; there are always plenty of diversions if we want to find them. We have to consciously make time to think without distractions.
Don’t be bound by reality
Too often people suffocate their ability to think imaginatively by only considering what is possible. But the really great ideas start with what we wish the world were like and work backwards to how we can get there. Sometimes the answer is we can’t.
As children we are mostly ignorant of the constraints around us. We think it’s quite possible animals think like humans and just can’t express themselves in our language. We allow our minds to imagine wondrous things because we don’t yet know they’re impossible.
“Idea people know what it’s like to have an idea kicked in the gut when it’s down.”
There will be a time when we’ll need to ask some hard questions about possibilities and practicalities, but imposing these restrictions too soon stifles our ability to let our minds envision something beyond what currently exists.
Surround yourself with people who value creativity
Every idea needs a cheerleader, someone who will say, “You can do it” even if we’re not sure we can. The great thing about idea people is they know what it’s like to have an idea kicked in the gut when it’s down. Creative friends will pick your idea up and carry it home to recuperate.
When we’re still young everyone around us is going through the same mind-expanding, thought-exploring phases we are so it’s easy to have conversations about the things we imagine. We’ve got a ready audience who will not only treat our ideas as valuable but will join in the creative process.
As we get older, fewer people want to explore the world of make believe. We have to consciously seek these people out and make a comfortable place to discuss ideas. It’s amazing how much an idea changes when it’s expressed to someone else. We need to give our ideas this growth opportunity.
Get the blood flowing
Fostering imagination is not all about seclusion and isolation; it’s also about getting out into the world and experiencing life. You will probably find some of your best ideas come when you’re engaged in, or just after, a physical activity. Running, hiking, and climbing all get the blood flowing and help spur creativity.
During our youth this just came naturally. Running around, climbing trees, building a fort, going swimming. We could find so many ways to exert ourselves we never had to think about it. It was just a natural part of life.
“Expressing our ideas to others lets them grow.”
Now that our lives are more sedentary it takes a commitment and an intentional plan to provide opportunities for physical exertion. It’s not just for the sake of our health we should incorporate exercise into our lives; we need it to nurture imaginative thinking as well.
Some affirmations
Sometimes we need to prime the pump, especially if it’s been a while since we’ve exercised our creative muscles. When we’re trying to inspire ourselves to come up with creative ideas it helps if we focus on one particular area of exploration. Then actively think about the following two thoughts.
1. Give yourself permission to think big. Tell yourself not to think about the restrictions of reality right now. For most of us it’s a habit we have grown used to over years and it may take a while before we really believe it’s okay. So keep telling yourself this until you believe it.
2. Be intentionally extreme. Really take ideas to the maximum and see what lies on the outskirts of what we can conceive. Doing this forces us beyond the everyday ideas and affirms what we just told ourselves, that it’s okay to think big.
Some exercises
After finding a spot without distractions give yourself a substantial amount of time for undisturbed thinking. Then give yourself a prompt. This could be two words selected at random from a dictionary—or from any book really. Just pick two random numbers, the first is the page number the second is the row. Use a word on that row.
Ex: 1. Use two words selected at random and see if you can form a connection between them or apply them to a particular problem you’re having. Our minds are very good at finding connections, you will usually be able to form an idea even if only a ridiculous one. Consider how that idea could be applied.
Ex: 2. Find a picture in a magazine. Use something in the picture as a prompt. It could be an object, a word, or the layout itself. Choose two items and find a connection as above.
Ex: 3. Don’t stop with your first idea. The best ideas are rarely the first ones developed. Take your idea and use it as a prompt to build on. Continue this process two or three times.
A final thought
As with any new skill, the most important thing is to practice. When we do things repeatedly they become easier.
Learn what works well for you and what doesn’t. Find out which people are most receptive to your craziest ideas and what activities help you get blood flowing to your brain.
In time you will find using your imagination can be quite fun. You may even discover what it’s like to be a child again.
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Siddhartha, I just wanted to let you know I really like having the option to listen to a podcast or read the post. Having the option makes me more likely to consume your posts because sometimes I listen to it on my phone on the way to work on days that I don't have time to read. Unfortunately, listening to the podcast makes me less likely to comment.
ReplyDeleteSo, I wanted to let you know that I have been keeping up even if I haven't been commenting. I recently went through and culled my reader because I had too many blogs and your's was definitely on the "blogs to keep" list. My criteria was to only stay subscribed to blogs I want to read every post from and Principles of Failure is definitely a keeper.
I appreciate the note; it’s nice to hear you’re enjoying the podcasts. And I’m glad I’m providing something of value to you. Music to any blogger’s ears.
ReplyDeleteSiddhartha~ I know it must be frustrating when people comment about something other than the point of the blog entry. But I'm going to comment anyway.
ReplyDeleteI think being afraid to "allow ourselves to look foolish and fail" is the main reason Americans are infamous for not learning foreign languages. Others say it is because we are so arrogant we consider all other languages inferior. That may have some truth, but I think both reasons stem from growing as a melting pot of cultures for so many decades. Immigrants were very desirous of having children who could be successful in America. Many first generation children were required to speak only English outside of the home, and second generation children were only allowed to speak English, and never really learned the languages of their ancestors. Their parents explained the importance of not sounding like immigrants, who were often relegated to less desirable jobs, along with people who were not well educated or were not really intelligent enough to do better paying jobs. It's easy to see how speaking like an immigrant came to mean speaking like an ignorant person. Most schools taught Latin, Greek, or French as a foreign language. It wasn't until the late fifties that other languages were offered. I think the idea in America that speaking a foreign language inexpertly makes one appear foolish is a leftover from past times. We are still not willing to "allow ourselves to look foolish and fail", which is a necessary skill when learning to speak any language.
It seems to me, when nearly 30% of Americans are of Hispanic origin, speaking Spanish is going to be a necessity soon. Why? Spanish is way easier to learn than English. English will probably remain the language of technology, academics, government, and business, but on the street people will speak Spanish or Spanglish.
Interesting thought about the future predominance of Spanish as a spoken language. I disagree, however. The size of the population has less to do with the language spoken than the influence of those who speak it.
ReplyDeleteEnglish does not have the most native language speakers in the world but it is the most widely spoken language if you take into account second or third languages. English is the international language of business. It is by far the most widely used language on the internet.
I know from my aviation experience English is the international language for aviation. Every country in the world uses English for aviation communication regardless of the language spoken in that country. I think business communication is going the same direction.
I’m not sure the fear of looking foolish is the answer to the question. While I agree there is a fear of looking foolish when learning a foreign language, this fear is not as prevalent in the United States as it is in East Asian cultures yet they don’t appear reluctant to learn foreign languages.
I believe Americans are making a reasonably rational decision based on cost/benefit analysis. It takes significant time and energy to learn a new language and then additional investments of time and energy in the future to maintain that language. Why would Americans invest the time and energy?
Unless you have a job which requires frequent contact with foreign language speakers who don’t speak English as a second language it’s unlikely to cross the threshold of a profitable investment. Because more people outside the English speaking world are learning English there’s less chance an American will have a need of speaking a foreign language.
Now, I would caveat this with the opinion I don’t think Americans who make this rational investment decision are taking into account the benefits beyond first order effects. It’s been shown people who speak multiple languages increase their ability to think and there are certainly cultural benefits to being able to speak in the native language of other people, but on the whole these benefits tend to be overlooked.
I will say, I have personally traveled to thirty countries without speaking any language aside from English and never had any problems enjoying my visits. It’s possible they would have been more fulfilling had I spoken the native language but they weren’t hampered by my linguistic limitations.
You're right, but you speak off the street. The small businesses, the vendors, the banks, the businesses that deal with regular people all day, they will speak Spanish. It's true many people who speak Spanish can get along in English, but they are more comfortable in Spanish, and the guy selling the car wants his customer to feel comfortable. When one out of every three people you encounter speaks Spanish, (or even all three in the southwest), you will need to speak Spanish. Already in California, if you don't speak Spanish, you have to point to things at fast food establishments. It's like not speaking French when you're in Quebec. It doesn't matter if they also understand English.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you. I've experienced the Spanish-only fast food thing, so it made me laugh to read that.
ReplyDeleteBut I also remember serving in Korea. Katusa soldiers were Korean soldier who worked with the American soldiers. There was, at the time, a great deal of competition to get picked for Katusa service, so those soldiers were likely to be intelligent, accomplished, and to have at least one degree if not post-graduate degrees.
The American soldiers were not friendly with the Katusas. When I asked why, the response was something like, "They're so stupid. You can hardly understand them." In English, of course.