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​WHY are Imagination, Creativity & Thinking Important?

 

Creativity, imagination and innovation are THE MOST important skills of the 21st Century. The 21st Century is a time of unprecedented change and unpredictability, we do not know what the future holds, we cannot predict the future, nobody even has a clue what things will look like in 5 years, I sometimes wonder about tomorrow.

 

We need kids to be able to think differently to be creative and solve problems, we have not even begun to imagine. We need to arm kids with the skills to be imaginative, creative and innovative, so they can tackle the world of the future.  Their world.

 

​ SO what exactly is Imagination?

 

Imagination is that vast and scintillating internal fountain of all things strange and new.

 

“At the most basic level, imagination is the mental representation of things that are not immediately present to your senses,” says Barry Scott Kaufman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Imagination is whatever you’re thinking about when whatever you’re thinking about isn’t actually there right in front of you.

 

And some people may be a lot better at it than others.

 

imagination is important because it’s responsible for many things including planning  future, empathizing, planning ahead, understanding your audience, inventing something fabulous, designing and playing a sport well. All of it requires, is an ability to see mental pictures in as much detail as possible.

 

​HOW do you Cultivate Imagination & Creativity?

 

Become an IMAGINAIRE

 

IMAGINAIRE (Imagination + millionaire)

a person who uses their imagination to become a millionaire of ideas by focusing the 20 million billion bits of information moving around his/her astoundingly fast brain every second.

 

​im ag in aire  noun  | ih-maj-in-nair \: A person who uses their imagination to become a millionaire of ideas

 

The gurus, wizards, rockstars and millionaires of the future will be IMAGINAIRES

 

How do you become an IMAGINAIRE?  Well its easy really, let the brain imagine. If you can imagine it you can do it, write it, paint it, make it, solve it, invent it, fix it.

 

To be an IMAGINAIRE you require skill, knowledge, and control. It is a mindset, a way of viewing the world and needs practise.

 

The Scientific Power of Thought Great Video showing the Power of imagination

 

​FIRST some Input

 

1. Read a great picture book. Watch a Video. View a great image or artwork.*

or

2. Narrate a guided scenic description**

or

3.  IMAGINAIRES As student's ability progresses they will not need the input but will develop their own stories and imaginings themselves, how exciting. Once they reach this stage I ask them to work with their passions. THEY HAVE BECOME IMAGINAIRES.

 

*Some suggestions:-

*Virginia Wolf  - Kyo Maclear (Imagine your own Bloomsberry)

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vm5ulczGhc

 

The Coat - Julie Hunt (Imagine you had a Magic
Coat - what would you do)

 

You Are Stardust - Elin Kelsey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2KB4iTEEBM

 

**Guided Scenic description - spoken slowly leaving ample spaces for children to imagine

Imagine you are at the beach.......it is a warm sunny day...........you smell the fresh salty sea air........you hear the sounds of the waves lapping on the shore........you feel warm.......you feel the sand between your toes........wriggle your feet around in the sound..............it feels so deliscious...........you walk down to the edge of the water and the waves splash on you feet and legs............you look to you right and see some fabulous looking rocky outcrops..........you decide to explore them..........you walk quickly toward them and find a cave.........you need to drop down onto you knees to get inside..........you crawl through...... on the other side is an amazing sight.......what do you see........ what is it like.......who is inside............what are the colours.........what are the sounds...........

 

​Ask Great Questions ?? Discuss, Converse, Hash Over

 

Discuss the input. Let the students ask the questions and discuss and debate the answers. Praise great questions, reinforce great thinking, acknowledge creative discussion, probe for greater understanding. During this discussion there are no wrong answers only different interpretations.

Use language like: great thinking, fabulous idea, WOW(is always good). Take time to let student speak with out interruption, allow them thinking time if they need it.

​NEXT Focus Focus Focus

 

How do you do it?

Students relax, sit cross legged on the floor or in their chairs.

Relax their shoulders close their eyes, be still.

 

Instructions

Its important not to move, not a muscle, ignore any sounds.

FOCUS everything on your mind, your job is to make pictures as detailed as possible, to smell, to touch to feel everything you can. Look into all the corners go and investigate everything.

 

Initially - short sessions lasting as long as children can sit still.

Maximum amount of time to aim for is 3 minutes.

An excel spreadsheet is good to use on a Whiteboard showing their progress in focusing is a great idea - they will love this. Just set it up and add their time for each sessions, here’s one baked earlier:

 

​

I have linked it to an EXCEL spreadsheet so you and just change and add your data.

 

 

​THEN Discuss the Imaginings

 

The discuss what has been imagined. Students imaginings will develop into longer and longer stories and descriptions.

 

They will love telling their stories. Encourage other students to ask questions and compliment and
encourage the IMAGINAIRE.

 

Things like:-

I loved the the description of......

What else happened?

What were the colours like?

What are they wearing?

Where is s/he?

What time of day is it?

Where is they going?

What do you think might happened next?

 

As children’s abilities increase encourage them to have more detail to extend from description to narrative. You will be amazed at the development of these abilities.

 

​SO What's Next..........CREATIVITY

 

Creativity is Applied Imagination

It is the output of Imagination. Putting the imagination to work in writing, drawing, construction, animation, movie making, photography etc.

 

Creativity feels amazing.  There’s nothing quite like the rush that comes with a flash of inspiration for a new project, the buzz of the creative act itself, or the glow of satisfaction from a project you have quite literally loved into existence.

 

 

Imaginaire

 

 

 

© Cathy Brown 1998 - 2020