Imagination is the ability of the mind to simulate objects, people and/or ideas that haven’t yet happened in reality.
Like many functions of the human mind, scientists cannot yet fully understand imagination. It’s believed that imagination is a network which shares information across different regions of the brain.
We all have access to the power of our imagination, but are we using it to our greatest advantage?
Is there unlocked potential lying within our ability to imagine?
When we are young, imagination comes to us easily. Without effort, we are able to create elaborate stories, ideas and characters. Which provide hours of fun and entertainment.
But as we get older, often our imagination fades. As the responsibilities of “growing up” increase, the time and space to spend accessing our imagination slowly becomes less and less. And like anything in the body that is left underused, over that time our creative imagination gets weaker and weaker.
This is a real shame because imagination has a great role and value in our lives.
Imagination is much more than having your head in the clouds or daydreaming. In fact, we are constantly using our imagination. We spend a lot of our time in our minds thinking about what our day will look like, how a conversation will go or what is up next on our to-do list
This is using our imagination unconsciously.
To use our imagination consciously for creativity is to decide what we want to focus on and use our imagination to drive energy towards that outcome. Using our imagination in this way is accessing the power necessary to create something, be it a project, a piece of writing, painting a picture or even cooking a meal!
“Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture.” Ken Robinson | Unlock Your Imagination
So how do we start to use our imaginations consciously and consistently and access our unique creative spark?
It’s actually really simple. You just need to practice.
How To Unlock And Embrace The Incredible Power Of Your Imagination
You don’t need to learn how to imagine something. You know how to do that. What you need to do is decide to make expanding and using your imagination a priority in your life. Start by spending 5 minutes a day daydreaming. Let your mind wander instead of trying to focus it on a particular task. By using your imagination more regularly and easing into your own unique imaginative process you will grow and develop your imagination.
With regular practice, you will become better and better at consciously using your imagination and therefore you will be more discerning about how and where you focus your energy and creativity.
Like anything new, learning this process will take time. If you stick with it, you will have added an invaluable tool into your life that will flow into all aspects of your world.