Let’s not put it aside
“Logic will take you from A to B.
Imagination will take you everywhere”
Einstein
As a child, you don’t really question your imagination, right? Somehow though, growing up, deciding which path to follow on my studies I without noticing found myself feeling I was lacking creativity.
I was orienting myself towards political studies and looking at my friends developing into fashion and design. These choices surely were creative to me and somehow it implied that mine were not.
As I entered the working life I got used to complete some tasks where imagination wasn’t the most demanded neither valuable skill.
And only with time I manage to find out I was wrong. Fortunately also gaining experience I re-discovered the power of imagination:
Imagination
The ability to think of new ideas
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Writer and journalist Harold Evans, said: “creative thoughts lead to invention. Innovation exploits those thoughts to make it happen”.
How to boost your innovation power
Yes, everyone can have creative or innovative ideas, the differences lying on which type of ideas are for us easier to produce and more energizing to work on, depending on our personality preferences in how we process information and ideas, and how we put them out into the world.
The impact of imagination is everywhere, and it’s striking to see how imagination influences your future just as a positive outlook on things will shape your next steps and your next move.
So my learning is that choosing a path doesn’t mean excluding some skills. Do not limit your imagination thinking it doesn’t belong to something, do not think it’s separate from your activity, like a hobby or spare time thing, but use it everyday, as a strength to grow and innovate also in those areas where at first people wouldn’t see it.
One last thing: if you are stuck on something and don’t seem to know where to start bringing creativity in, try to look at how a child would perceive it. Bring back that perspective you had as a kid; it surely can be helpful if you have children around as they, like us before, don’t question their imagination… It’s just there and we should not forget it.
