Creativity is a Pillar
This picture of a child’s toys at the beach reminds me of one of the pillars of Reimagine – Rethink Community. That pillar is to Reimagine My Community.
When we were children, life was simple. We picked up a bucket and a plastic shovel. Then, with minimal raw materials, we created worlds.
A castle emerged from the piles of sand. Soon, sticks made bridges to cross over the moat. Pieces of shell or rocks made windows. Little scraps of paper made little boats to ply the waters of our pretend pond.
The prisoner in the castle (a plastic toy dog) was in danger. How was the dog going to get rescued from the monster (another toy caked in mud) lurking in the puddle? Plans unfolded … the dog was saved and the rescuers sang a song and danced around the sandcastle.
Imagination was natural for us.
What Happened to Curiosity and Imagination?
Which then leads us to another fundamental question. That question is this: what has happened to our built-in curiosity and imagination? No doubt, there are many explanations offered by the sciences. Loss of neuroplasticity perhaps. Or, we have “grown up.” Perhaps, “we got educated.”
But have we grown up in the wrong directions? Have we been shaped by the world around us to the extent we have lost something? Something got buried in the sand … something that allowed us to create these imaginary worlds.
What was lost?
