The above quote adequately describes my thoughts on imagination. Webster defines the word imagination by the following: the act of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality. When I apply this definition to real world examples I instantly become amazed at the awesomeness of the human brain. I am always taken aback at what we are capable of as people. There are many different outlets that can express a person’s imagination. The medium that is singularly my favorite is writing, specifically story telling.
I apply this concept to authors that write fiction. Think of some of the greatest fiction writers of the 20th century. C.S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and J.K. Rowling are single-handedly responsible for some of the best stories that came from that era. Each author created a new universe that had its own laws, cultures, and traditions. They created a place for readers to escape for adventure, romance, and mystery. Each author invited readers into the very crevasse of his or her mind. Movies were made from each author’s work. In J.K. Rowling’s case she created not only a fictitious world for fans to escape to but people have created from her work theme parks, wizard music groups, Harry Potter conventions, and inter-collegiate sporting events. These things were done because one lady decided to put together scratches on a page. It is evident that a writer’s ability to create characters that are complex and intriguing is a testament to their imaginative creative genius. Authors that are able to depict their character’s struggles and growth from those struggles and engage a reader that also feels as if they have experienced that struggle has a vast amount of talent.
Story telling is something humans have done for thousands of years. We enjoy being entertained by wonderfully creative people. Story tellers are able to make real people feel complex emotions for fictitious characters. A great story teller can make you tremble with excitement, curiosity, or anger. He or she can also make you feel anxious, terrified, or elated. The emotions we experience from these fictitious characters are very much real. It is truly amazing that we can have real emotions for something made up. The awe inspiring fact is that they do this all inside of your very mind. Aside from reading letters off of a page nothing physical has taken place. As a reader you can witness characters slay dragons, vanquish enemies, over throw government, and find the love of their life. However, for the reader none of this physically took place in any tangible way. When I think of these facts I sometimes find myself struck by awe. I am simply amazed by the power of our minds.
We as the reader can develop our own thoughts and add to what we have been given. We formulate the concepts given to us and give them life. Simply because we perceive what has been told to us we are able to give those concepts a sense of reality.
Is it not awe inspiring that something so wonderful can take place solely in the mind? A reality that can only exist in something as infinite as our minds is astounding. Human consciousness allows for people to string together simple thoughts into an intricate idea. This holds more power than almost anything else we humans can develop.
Finally, examine what a person is truly doing when reading an author’s work. A person’s literary work was developed within their mind. A person’s consciousness can develop concepts and ideas that another person can read and become altered by those ideas. Human consciousness as a whole is still largely unknown to scientists. Science does not have a direct answer to where is the seat of consciousness housed in the brain. Neither can they explain why consciousness even exists. Some believe that consciousness is a human’s soul. Personally, I tend to agree with this theory. I believe that each human has a soul and that it manifest itself as what we know as consciousness. I think that consciousness is the very essence of who we are. With this thought pattern think back to what I said about the relationship of authors and readers. Authors develop their stories from their consciousness. In effect when we read an authors work we are connecting with a piece of their soul. Who they are and what they believe. You have to admit there aren’t many relationships that get more personal than that.
I find the above concepts so very compelling. It is exciting to think that our sense of reality can be added to simply because we read scratches on a piece of paper. The fact that authors can use fictitious characters to make others feel real emotions is remarkable. This gives testament to the saying that ideas are some of the most powerful forces on the planet. Once an idea has been thought it can never be taken back. Ideas give power to the people.
The quote “You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it” reminds me of imagination and ingenuity of people. I feel that it can be applied to everyone and highlights the importance of creativity. We must never lose our ability to create. I believe our greatest attribute is our desire to create.
This in itself is humbling.
Painfully Self Aware 