What is imagination? When children concoct fantastical scenarios, “imagination” is trotted out as the explanation. “He has a crazy imagination!” parents exclaim, as they laugh off their children’s wild tale. However, imagination is a quality that is now increasingly prized in our world of constant innovation or development. People like Steve Jobs are considered visionaries, people who can visualize something that is not yet a reality, and bring it into reality. Indeed, “imagination” as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is, “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.”

How is it that some are able to see with such eyes, when the majority of the world is trapped in a boring, dreary routine of work and life? I propose that those who have active imaginations are those who have retained an attitude more in line with how life was meant to be lived. Mankind was not meant to only slave away at survival; one of the defining factors of “civilizations” is the development of art and culture – a manifestation of imagination and creativity. Children are not yet weighed down by the cares of life, and if nurtured correctly, voraciously explore new aspects of the world around them with an insatiable curiosity. They wonder at the world and at each new thing they encounter. They see the universe as large and full of new things to be discovered, and it is from this mindset that they imagine. They instinctively fill in the blanks and extrapolate. They might invent new animals by taking parts of animals they know about (Bing Bong in Inside Out is an example – cat, elephant, and dolphin), or unusually colored new worlds.

But what about adults who have to worry about putting food on the table and paying the bills? How can they retain an imagination amidst the stresses of life? Take a leaf out of a child’s book.

Find something creative or artistic that you enjoy, and work at it. For example, learn to paint, pick up an instrument or learn to cook. Drawing and painting involves visualizing something and recreating it on paper or canvas. Cooking involves combining flavors and textures into a new dish, and you have to have your end goal in mind. Furthermore, as you practice and get better, you realize that there is so much more to learn. Children realize that there is so much more for them to learn.

Spend time outdoors. The world around us is so much more beautiful than we realize. Why not pack a picnic lunch and look at the shapes in the clouds, or go outside on a starry night and wonder at the cosmos? The intricate beauty of nature, and the vastness of the skies, remind us that the world is more than just our temporal worries.

Be open to learning, especially from children. Join them in their play, if you get the chance. It can be a mutually enjoyable time. Granted, it can be a tiring experience trying to keep up with their active bodies and their active imaginations, but their attitudes toward life are infectious.

In conclusion, I believe the best way to retain the power of imagination is to practice creativity, connect with the majesty of nature and to spend time with those who have mastered imagination: children.