Ahead of the next ‘Writing for wellbeing‘ workshop, The Joy Club member and wonderful host Susanna Lewis invites you to explore your imagination.
‘Come with me and you’ll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you’ll see
Into your imagination’
Some of you movie buffs will recognise the words above. It is in fact, the opening verse to the song, ‘Pure Imagination’ from the 1971 film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The film was a children’s fantasy, but captured the heart of many adults too. In the film we are treated to an explosion of colour, weird and wonderful scenes and the gathering of many quirky characters, including the great Willy Wonka, himself.
Watching the film recently with my grandchildren, I was thinking how, as adults, we lose our imagination over time. My grandchildren create imaginary worlds and characters, they sing songs that they made up, they draw pictures that are wild and free. They don’t hold back from their creative process. They create freely, with no inhibition. If they want to draw a pink dog with yellow spots, then they do. It is wonderful to watch children as they let their imagination run free, not stopping to care about what others think.
As adults we start to lose our imagination as we begin our journey into the ‘real’ world. We might go to university, get a job, leave home, get married, have children and own or rent our own house. All these ‘grown up’ responsibilities crush our imagination into nothingness, as we begin our adult life with a sense of duty and seriousness. As we lose our ‘childlike’ creativity, we also lose our imagination, squashed into the past, memories of dancing freely through life long gone.
I find this so sad. It seems so harsh and final to withdraw something so precious, just because we reach a certain age. I bought some old Enid Blyton books last week and immediately when I saw the covers of the Famous Five series, I was taken back fifty years to the days I would read the stories under the covers, with an old torch I had ‘borrowed’ from the garage. I still felt the excitement that I experienced all those years ago.
Maybe as adults we can still call ourselves creative? We may be artists, dancers, writers or photographers creating beauty in whatever form that takes. And yet, even as creatives, do we really use our imagination? Do we tap into our playfulness, our sense of freedom that we knew as children? I would guess that the majority of us do not, preferring to hold on to the rigid way of living as an adult in today’s modern world.
Is it possible to relive that child like way of thinking, to become curious about the world and all that we see and experience? I think it is. I also think tapping back into our imagination is essential to calm a frazzled mind and release us from the stress of everyday living, even just for a short while. So, how can we, as adults, rekindle our relationship with our imagination that left us many years ago?
1 Try engaging in creative activities, such as painting, pottery, writing or even dancing. Choose something that you have an interest in or maybe try something new and exciting. Try not to put pressure on yourself while you are doing this activity. Don’t talk yourself down or think you are ‘not good enough’. Remember, children don’t think too deeply about what they are doing. They just start, free of inhibitions with no rules to follow. If you want to paint a pink dog with yellow spots, then go ahead!
2 Give yourself time to tap into your imagination. We often rush around, even when we are retired. We think that ‘keeping busy’ is good for us, but keeping busy all the time gives us no room to relax our mind and calm our stress levels. To try and tap into your imagination, allow yourself some quiet time away from family and friends. Find yourself a quiet place with no risk of distractions. Personally, I like to sit in my local village churchyard for this exercise. Once you are alone with your thoughts, allow yourself to daydream. Don’t put any restrictions on what you think about. Let your thoughts wander gently and really become engrossed in those thoughts. See where they lead you. There is no right or wrong for this exercise, if you think freely without restriction.
3 Once you have tapped into your wild and imaginative thoughts, why not write them in a journal or you can sketch anything that comes to mind, if you would prefer. Drawing freely can bring out the childlike qualities in us, especially if we don’t concentrate on ‘getting it right.’ Children never worry about their artistic abilities, so why should you?
4 Why not try being playful? Maybe watch a children’s film and try to look at it through a child’s eyes. I love to watch ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and sing along to all the songs that remind me so much of my own childhood. Maybe you loved Lego as a child? Who didn’t? Get some Lego or borrow it from your grandchildren and spend a rainy Saturday afternoon building weird and wonderful structures. I have just started re-reading Enid Blyton books and I am really enjoying spending time disappearing into these wonderful, nostalgic stories once more. Maybe you might like to visit your local charity shop and pick up some of your old favourite books?
I hope I have given you some ideas for reclaiming your imagination. Finding those special moments from the past can really help improve our wellbeing and mental health. If you would like to learn more about this fascinating topic, then why not join me on Monday 9th September at 12.30pm for Writing for wellbeing here at The Joy Club , where we will explore this, using journaling prompts and friendly discussion.
I hope to see you then.