I’ve always been a dreamer—literally and metaphorically. My imagination is vivid and limitless. This makes me see the world differently. I find shapes in clouds, and find stories around every corner of my conscious awareness. My imagination was fed by drama clubs, musical theatre, music, books, and my love of reading and writing.

There is one game we played in drama class back in high school that has especially stuck with me through the years. I’m not sure if it has a technical name, but if you’ve ever seen Whose Line Is It Anyway, you’ll be familiar with the name “Props”. In our class it was, “This Isn’t Actually A…” and the premise was we would pass around an inanimate object and tell the group what the item was truly. I remember the first time we did this activity the item was a spoon and we were instructed to tell the group what this object was as long as it was anything other than a spoon. This was difficult at first because logically we all knew it was a spoon and had difficulty seeing it as anything else. However, after a couple tries we all suddenly realized the endless possibilities of that this “spoon” was…

“This is not a spoon… this is a tiny boat for ants.”

“This is not a spoon… this is a shovel designed to dig small precise holes.”

“This is not a spoon… this is a wand from the first known wizard in history.”

“This is not a spoon… this is a key to another universe.”

It is incredible what the mind can come up with when we ask our good friend logic to take a backseat (or at least be a copilot). Sure, in reality, all we knew this item as was a spoon used to scoop various foods and liquids, but haven’t you ever used an item for something different than its intended purpose?

In life you have to get creative sometimes and at first people will feel uncomfortable, or laugh, or call you silly for having an idea that doesn’t fit inside the box of what is the norm. However, given time and space most people will jump on board trying to think of other creative ideas or solutions. I read a quote recently that speaks to how creativity is strengthened the more we use it:

“Imagination is like a muscle. I found out that the more I wrote, the bigger it got.”

― Philip José Farmer

Not every idea will pan out. Not every creative solution will be a permanent fix. But if nothing changes, then everything stays the same. So many of us have put their imagination on the back-burner because of the responsibilities and routines that come with being an adult. Inside our imagination risks growing stagnant from disuse. What was one thing you loved as a child that you haven’t done in a long time? What is a creative outlet you used to enjoy that you haven’t made time for? Is it painting? Writing? Film-making? Creating games? Songwriting? Woodworking? Cooking?

If there is something that is part of you that you’ve been neglecting, I urge you to take the time to make the time for it. This blog is that outlet for me and I have found not only my imagination being stronger because of it, but an overall increase in happiness throughout all areas of my life. If you don’t make time for your interests… no one else will.

If nothing comes to mind now, that’s okay. Perhaps there is an event or class in your town that will spark an interest for you. Or perhaps you’ll be walking down the street and a flyer will catch your eye. It’s amazing what we are lead to once we allow a thought in our minds. Little ideas become big ideas. Little thoughts become big thoughts and hopefully some future big thoughts have been planted here today. Now go flex that imagination muscle!