Sunday, April 25, 2010

Power of Imagination

When my husband sits down to read my MS, he often starts laughing. 

The problem is, my MS is not a comedy.

But he starts laughing because he sees the story, he sees the characters. But what he doesn’t see, in all of this, is me. 
He constantly asks himself ‘Where the hell does she come up with this stuff?’

And I tell him- It’s almost as though it’s not me who writes it at all.  It’s like I’m watching a movie in my head and just recording what happens.  How people look, how they move, what they say, etc….

Hubby thinks it’s cool.  But he still wonders if I’m not slightly insane. Which leads me to the question-
Do some people just have more imagination than others?

Now there was a time when this might have been a question I would have simply asked God.  But he's often busy, so I went to the next best thing-  Google.

And this is what I found.  According to Wikipedia-

‘Imagination, also called the faculty of imagining, is the ability of forming mental images, sensations and concepts, in a moment when they are not perceived through sight, hearing or other senses. Imagination is the work of the mind that helps create fantasy. Imagination helps provide meaning to experience and understanding to knowledge; it is a fundamental facility through which people make sense of the world, and it also plays a key role in the  learning process.’

So basically- Everyone has an imagination.  If you didn’t you wouldn’t be able to use logic, understanding.  You wouldn’t be able to acquire knowledge.
But I still can’t help the feeling that for some people, that’s ALL it’s used for….

And I thank god for this muscle, this power that allows to imagine anything we want, when we want.  And for those people who dared to imagine things that they had never seen, and never heard and bring something new into the world.
Here are some of the best imagination quotes I found throughout my query-

“I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.”- Albert Einstein

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

“All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers.” -
Orison Swett Marden 

“Everything that is new or uncommon raises a pleasure in the imagination, because it fills the soul with an agreeable surprise, gratifies its curiosity, and gives it an idea of which it was not before possessed.” -
Joseph Addison 

“Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures.”- 
Jessamyn West 

“I am imagination. I can see what the eyes cannot see. I can hear what the ears cannot hear. I can feel what the heart cannot feel.” -
Peter Nivio Zarlenga 

“I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see.-
Duane Michals 

“I doubt that the imagination can be suppressed. If you truly eradicated it in a child, he would grow up to be an eggplant.” -
Ursula K. Le Guin 

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” -
Theodor Geisel 

“I never did very well in math - I could never seem to persuade the teacher that I hadn't meant my answers literally.”- 
Calvin Trillin 

“I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.” -
Pablo Picasso 

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” -
Michelangelo 

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” -
George S. Patton 

“Imagination and fiction make up more than three quarters of our real life.”- 
Simone Weil 

“Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity.” -
L. Frank Baum 

“Imagination rules the world.” -
Napoleon Bonaparte 

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” -
Carl Sagan 


23 comments:

Jessica Bell said...

Excellent post! This made me chuckle!: "Now there was a time when this might have been a question I would have simply asked God. But he's often busy, so I went to the next best thing- Google."

I don't think some have more imagination than others - I just think some of us have learnt how to use it :)

India Drummond said...

My husband does the same thing, although he laughs because he recognises my way of thinking and talking, and I sneak in little tidbits of life into the details. He swears he would recognise my writing by those little things and how well he knows me.

That thought scares me, especially since my latest story is about a homicidal faery!

Unknown said...

I've had similar statements addressed at me (especially since I've got to be professional and polite at work). I don't think it's the case of having a bigger imagination than someone else, it's being able to use it right that counts. It also helps if you set it free and let it run wild every once in a while.

Culture Served Raw said...

Thanks for posting this! Very inspiring

Regards
Val

Mel Chesley said...

I agree with Jessica, we all have it, some just know how to use it better than others. Imagination I have tons of. If it were money, I'd own the world.

My husband love to hear what I have written, knows I am slightly insane and loves me all the more for it. ;)

Vicki Rocho said...

That's it EXACTLY! I have a movie running in my head, or words just come to me. I'm more of a scribe sometimes than anything else.

When I'm daydreaming, it's more like a TV station with 30,000 channels, skimming over each one briefly until something sparks an interest and I'll 'watch' that channel for a bit.

We're all born with an imagination, but some of us never exercise that muscle so it is woefully atrophied!

Matthew MacNish said...

Great post CQG, and so true! I especially love your quotes, the ones from scientists (Einstein, Sagan) about imagination are the BEST.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Wonderful quotes to start the week, thank you so much for sharing! And how lucky you are to have such a supportive husband!

Clara said...

I knew that one from Einstein! This is a lovely post Kd! I think that anyone can be creative, all we need is to exercize =)

JE said...

Well, just like people have more creativeness than others, I think people have better imaginations than others. Blame is on genetics, how you were raised, or what not. But no, I don't think we are all created equal in that regard. It's like playing an instrument, painting, sculpting, economics, acting, etc. Some people just have it. Some don't. For those who don't, they can learn it - but they generally aren't at good as the naturals. Is it fair? No. But everyone is good at something.

Thanks for this post. I always enjoy the ones that make me ponder...

~JD

Jaydee Morgan said...

Loved the quotes! And I can totally relate to how you feel. My own man thinks my brain is far too over-active in the imagination department. In fact, the word 'delusional' comes up a lot.

AiringMyLaundry said...

Fantastic post. I've always had a big imagination. They say it fades with age but I'm 27 and it's still as strong as ever.

At least your husband reads your MS. Mine doesn't read so I'm left to rely on other people :/

Bish Denham said...

Wow! Wonderful quotes. I'm sure I'd be a slug with my imagination.

Laura S. said...

Loved this post! I had a runaway imagination when I was little and I'm proud to say I still have it! Except now I understand the difference between imagination and reality, haha.

Awesome quotes. Loved Dr. Seuss' and Calvin Trillin's!

Angie Paxton said...

I saw your welcome over on Palindrome's blog and loved your name so much I had to come on over and follow you. I loved this post! What a great bunch of quotes.

Eeleen Lee said...

great post
My beta readers laugh too when they read my stories, but I think its out of nervousness (because I'm peering over their shoulders..)

Suzanne Casamento said...

I love that the next best thing to God is Google. I also love that your hubby reads your work. He's a keeper. ; )

Shelley Sly said...

This is great! So true! I feel like sometimes I have an over-active imagination. I can be alone for long periods of time because my mind keeps me company. (Sounds strange, I know.) How interesting imagination can be!

Stina said...

I love this post. My husband would never read my stuff. But that's probably a good thing. He doesn't read fiction, and I'm postive YA romantic suspense wouldn't be his kind of thing. ;)

And I'm definitely the one with the vivid imagination in this marriage. :)

Unknown said...

I definitely think some people have more imagination. A coworker and I actually discuss this topic a lot. Every time I mention something my daughter does, the coworker (Becky) says, "She has such an imagination. My son doesn't." Thing is, I don't think Becky does either. I think she's great at other things, but she doesn't read for pleasure very often, and I don't think she played many make believe games with her son.

I do think it should be nutured in everyone, but no matter what, some people are going to be always running their own stories in their heads. Or creating masterpieces of art, or inventing new devices.

T.J. Carson said...

Eh I don't care what wiki says, I think some people just have a more developed imagination than others. Everyone knows that friend of theirs that relies on everyone else to come up with something to do (no matter what it is; going out, solving drama in their life, buying stuff, even eating!) the person who can't make up their mind and follows the pack, they are the ones without imagination. They rely on others and wait for other people to make decisions and come up with ideas. The planner in your group of friends? Oh yes. They are the creative minds. The ones who everyone looks too when the gang want to hang out. Sometimes I tell my friends to make the plans this time (and then we never end up doing anything because they never planned anything) so annoying. ugh. sorry I have issues with people relying on me and not doing a thing for themselves. It's frustrating. But I've never heard an original idea from any of my friends that are followers so I'm sticking with imagination is more powerful in certain individuals. haha :)

Ella said...

Inspiring post with great food for thought! I know people don't use their imaginations enough. I think as we get older, we tend to shove that part of us aside, when we in reality need it most. It frees us, to be creative, to dream, and aspire.
We need to have our hands in a hobby, a playground for our soul.

Tahereh said...

really great post -- and so true!! writing is a strange feat, isn't it? sometimes it just spills right out and we don't even realize what we've created until someone else points it out.

and yes, i really do think some people have more imagination than others.

i think writers have a ton of it :D

<33

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