I've always considered myself as someone with little imagination. However, I recently discovered that by using it and exercising it I could make it work.
In Spain, the educational system, especially in secondary school and university, consists on learning things by heart. Yes, it's useful if you process and understand what you're learning by heart, but you can probably get away with pouring out the contents of the lessons as an automaton.
I think this made my imagination go into hibernation. I didn't need to use it, I was never asked to write a short story or account, or even draw whatever I wanted, so I pushed it into a burrow and forgot it ever existed. It was deep-frozen for the future. Now it's thawed and woken up, however, I find it taking a main role in my life. I'm sitting at supper discussing the day's events when the communication component in my brain turns off and the imagination one jumps in, taking over all other activities. This is where my eyes glaze, my smile freezes, my ears block and my head nods rhythmically until someone affectionately -sometimes- slaps me on the back of my neck or pokes their face in mine to bring me back.
It's so much fun having that inside world playing scenes in my head. No wonder children can be hours playing on their own, they've got a whole universe of activity and characters to entertain them and no guidelines to contain it.
I'm so happy my imagination has woken up and I hope it won't go back into hibernation, I'll make sure it keeps awake. Did yours ever hide away in a burrow? Or are you lucky to have kept yours in full motion?
I really agree that it's a way of thinking that can be turned off through circumstances for a long time but you can also train it and use it and it's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alison. And I know you use yours a lot and exceptionally well.
ReplyDeleteI agree. One is never lonely or bored if one's imagination is in control.
ReplyDeleteMmm what? Did you say something? Sorry my mind was off imagining stuff! Yes I can totally relate to that Sarah. Life would be so mundane without it:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sally and Mandy, I get annoyed when I hear people say "I'm bored". It's because they've got used to external entertainment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely world we live in when we can spent time with our imagniation. I have always had a vivid imagination and my husband every now and then says to me 'Rememeber you life in the real world too!' Laughing, I ask 'and which one is that?' Carry on enjoying your lovely imagination, it's such fun!
ReplyDeleteWe are on the same page :) I just posted about this last night! Isn't it wonderful to use your imagination the way it is supposed to be used!
ReplyDeleteI attended Catholic School and did spend many hours playing in my imagination after performing the rote exercises that was called "learning."
ReplyDeleteAs an adult, have had times when imagination hides. But I think it's returning, abashed and apologetic for leaving in first place. :)
How sad that your school knocked imagination out of you. As a teacher I was determined to instil imagination into the children. With some children it wasn't easy and I found that hard to understand because I've always had a brain full of imagination. In fact, sometimes I think I have far too lively an imagination for my own sanity!
ReplyDeleteThat's such a shame about your school system. I was lucky with the schools and teachers I had. Where my imagination suffered was law school. Coming as it did after 3 years of university education, during which we'd been encouraged to question everything and look for alternatives, the year at law school, in contrast, was simply a case of learning a huge amount of material by heart and regurgitating it in the final exam. Which was a total killer for someone like me.
ReplyDeleteHappily, I've made up for that loss since leaving law school and my imagination doesn't seem to have suffered any long-term damage. :)