Imagination - a Challenge

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire; you will what you imagine; and at last you create what you will. - George Bernard Shaw



When you were a child, were you ever told that something was "all in your imagination"? Maybe you were scared of the monster you were convinced was under the bed, or you saw something and made up a story about it that just grew and grew in the telling. Well, now that you're all grown up, I've got news for you. Everything is in your imagination. If you can imagine it, you can create it. And if you can activate your imagination in a positive way, you'll go a long ways toward turning your dreams into reality.

Too often, as adults, we use our imaginations to picture our fears. How many times have you imagined all the things that could go wrong in a given situation? You end up with a sense of paralysis or doubts before you've even started. I know that feeling myself. So instead of using your imagination negatively, turn it around and imagine a positive outcome.

If your imagination seems a bit rusty, here are some simple steps to help you kick-start those creative juices.

1. Think about what you want to happen. Decide exactly on the outcome you want.

2. Picture it in your mind. What happens? What do you do? See all of the details — what you're wearing, where it takes place, who is there.

3. Hear what you and others are saying. Think the thoughts and experience the feelings you would have in these circumstances.

And now for something completely different...

To get off the poetry bandwagon there (posted 31 poems in a row; I figured you needed a break from poetry), I wanted to talk about inspiration.

What inspires you? It doesn't necessarily have to be to write, but what is something that inspires you?

Inspiration is often drawn from the things around us: music, art, a particular phrase, something that actually happened. All of these things are classic inspirations from which to draw upon. They spark your imagination; they light up your feelings; they draw you into focus upon a singular idea.

Often times, it's something visual (such as the photo of the pristine white rose covered in blood above) that touches off that spark of inspiration. We are, by nature, a very physical, visual society, after all. That which we can touch, feel, hear, and see will strike a chord deep within our souls that resonates long after we have lived that moment.

So I ask you...

What is it that inspires you?