Skip to main content

Your Creative Imagination

In this episode, Your Creative Imagination . . .

This week I’d like to revisit a piece we posted in May 2020; it was one of our first episodes.

Let's pretend today is your birthday; you received a gift from a loved one that’s beautifully boxed; what’s your first impulse? Would you set the box aside, “I’m busy right now; I’ll get to it later.” My guess is you would enthusiastically open the box.

Let me ask you this: What if I told you you’d had the most precious gift in your possession since birth, yet you’ve never taken the time to open the box?

I’m referring to the power of your creative imagination.

Albert Einstein summarized it best, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”

Let’s examine our daily thoughts; what do you think about it? Seriously, are your thoughts dependent on your reaction to “what’s happening right now” situations and other people? If so, that special gift we’re discussing is not being used. And if we’re not careful, our imagination can lead us to self-destructive habits.

So let’s strive for productive habits.

It’s been said the brain has four powers; think of them as switches you can turn on and off.

Switch number:

1. The power to absorb information and knowledge.

2. The power of retention.

3. The power of making judgments.

4. The ability to think creatively.


Children, artists, writers, and musicians always use this fourth switch. They do it by simply asking questions. No worries or hesitation. Just wholesome to-the-point questions. Be careful; people are swayed by the media, friends, and neighbors daily to think negative, non-productive thoughts. Here’s how to change that.


First, you must recognize that creative ideas can come from anywhere, anytime.

  • Keep an idea file. Ideas in the early stages need to be nurtured; record your thoughts.
  • Ideas need encouragement. Treat your thoughts as seeds; plant them, nurture them.
  • Encourage creative thinking in others.
  • Creative thinking is like mining for Diamonds in the wealthiest soil. You’ll get primarily small ones, but if you stay with them, you’ll find that big one you're looking for.

So what are you waiting for - turn on switch number four.


How you ask?


Spend 15 minutes a day digging in that gold mine between your ears. Take out a sheet of paper every day and write down your thoughts. Use a bound notebook to keep them together. At first, those thoughts may be off the wall, absurd ideas. That’s okay. Capture them.


I'll bet there’s a smartphone in your pocket—an electronic notebook to record audio, video, or written text of your brilliant ideas. Okay, I get it, maybe your thoughts are not so brilliant, but if you work at it every day for just 15 minutes, you will be amazed at what you come up with. Maybe it's a song, a story, a book, or maybe a podcast. Who knows. Start with something you want. This may appear selfish at first, but this will help you form the habit of digging into your mind. By mining those thoughts, you will reach your target.


Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.”


Have fun with it; open the box. Happy Birthday! Unleash the power of your creative imagination. 


Why not?


I’m Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

Patience – the Only First-Class Ticket

In this episode, Why Patience is the Only First-Class Ticket They say travel broadens the mind. After eight days sailing the Rhône with 140 fellow luxury vacationers, I can confirm it also tests patience, calf strength, buffet strategy, and one's tolerance for people furious that France insists on being French. Don't get me wrong—I adored this trip. The river shimmered like liquid optimism. The villages looked hand-painted. The pastries could negotiate world peace. But somewhere between Ship Horn Hello and Bon Voyage, we'd inadvertently boarded a floating behavioral research study disguised as a holiday. Our ship was less a cruise and more a ferry for the Sailors of Status. ⌚ The Wristwatch Wars Some passengers approached relaxation like yogis. Others treated leisure like a final exam with extra credit. I came to believe certain luxury watches emit ultrasonic signals that only their owners can detect. A frequency calibrated to trigger rapid movement toward any line forming...
1 comment
Read more

Our Journey to Avignon

🇫🇷 Lost in Transition: Our Journey to Avignon (Part 1) When everything that can go wrong—does—sometimes grace still finds you. Our Monday morning trip began on the quiet island of Noirmoutier , where salt marshes and sea breezes whisper of simpler days. From there, our early morning drive was uneventful; we arrived at the Nantes station with plenty of time to spare. From Nantes to Paris Montparnasse, everything went smoothly—so we thought, until it didn't. That's when things started to unravel. If you've never traveled the Paris Metro , imagine a vast underground maze pulsing beneath the city—corridors twisting into one another, trains roaring in and out of the dark, staircases that rise and fall like riddles. It's efficient, yes—but only if you know where you're going. We had over an hour and a half to make our next train to Avignon —plenty of time. Or so we believed. We needed to reach the Gare de Lyon station, where our TGV (high-speed train) was headed south...
Post a Comment
Read more

Up the Rhône

Up the Rhône by Patrick Ball We booked a fine cruise up the Rhône — what a treat! With iPhones, lanyards, and schedules so neat. They promised us peace and a mind that would mend, But each calm beginning had chores at the end! "Now breakfast at seven! At eight, take the view!" At nine, there's a lecture on ' What Tourists Do!' At noon, there's a tasting (you must love the cheese), Then hurry to nap time — as corporate decrees! I followed that plan till my patience ran dry. The Rhône softly chuckled, "Oh my, oh my, my! You've missed half my sparkles, my ripples, my tone— You're busy pretending you've peacefully grown!" So I fired my planner and banished my clock. I tossed my agenda right off the dock! I let the wind tickle my schedule away, and drifted through hours that danced where they may. I chatted with swans, had no notion of when, I'd nibble, or nap, or go roaming again. No Wi-Fi! No meetings! No planning! No fuss! Just me and ...
1 comment
Read more

Journey to Avignon (Part II)

🇫🇷 Lost in Transition: Our Journey to Avignon (Part II) When plans derail, sometimes the story gets better. "Mais attendez… peut-être…" the agent murmured, fingers flying across her keyboard. Lori and I leaned in, holding our breath. She frowned, typed again, then sighed. "With this disruption, all trains have been rerouted—and they're already full." We exchanged glances. Around us, the Gare de Lyon pulsed with energy: travelers clutching tickets, voices echoing, the scent of exasperation drifting through the chaos. It felt like the entire station had been swept into the same storm of confusion. Just then, another, older agent appeared beside us. He spoke in clipped, military French. "Where are you coming from? Did you miss your connection because of the incident—the acte de vandalisme ?" We both began to explain, recounting the wrong station, the Metro dash, the missed train—but before we could start, our first agent leaned close, her eyes wide wit...
1 comment
Read more