When did we lose our imagination?

lunarsongbird

I can honestly say that I don't really use my imagination very often anymore. It's sad when you think about it.

I remember as a little girl drawing a new futuristic sleeping bag that had all sorts of hidden compartments and secrets. I also drew a cabin built into the side of a mountain behind a waterfall.

Tonight, I had a student come in that is applying for the ImagiNations 2012 Disney Competition. Teams have to consider the following scenario:
Imagine it’s the year 3011, Disney has entertainment experiences all around the world, many which don’t even exist today. The human race is finally living on the moon and Walt Disney Imagineering wants to be the first one to provide entertainment and/or recreation to the new citizens there.

What would you imagine that this new Disney experience could be?

This student had a TOTALLY awesome idea. Just wicked... it's an "experience" that doesn't exist ANYWHERE at this time. It was such a flipping cool concept. My brain was delighted thinking about all the possibilities of his experience.

However...I really struggle trying to come up with my own original idea. In fact- I'm not very good at coming up with original ideas about anything, really.

So how is your imagination? Is your brain muscle strong?
What do you think your Disney experience would be?
Do you know of any neat imagination exercises?

IrishDreamer

My imagination is NOTHING like it used to be. But I've never really been very creative. *shrugs* My brain muscle is strong...i'm just not visual...and that plays a big part in imagination i think. 

elannis

Not to change the subject, but speaking of Disney princesses ...

I saw a picture on your facebook album, Lunar, that inspired a dream last night that involved evil taking over the Disney princesses worlds and they had to fight back, but it had a modern twist, lol. That was creative!! Too bad it was in my subconscious, lol.

I do agree though, that people don't use their imagination nearly enough anymore!

Elle1036

I think I'm like you.  I really don't use my imagination or creativity much lately, and I fear I'm losing those abilities.  It makes me sad, because I feel like they were such big parts of me when I was younger.

When I was at WWoHP over the weekend, it really struck me at one point while I was waiting in line for a ride that everything I was seeing - the castle, the shops, the food, the decor - all originated inside the imagination of one woman.  Just one person, one brain, came up with all of that, even if it took a creative team of thousands to bring it to life.  Unbelievable.

lunarsongbird

That would be this one, right?

elannis

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_did-lose-imagination?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:f905bc5f-d943-479a-8b51-366d0a8b43a4Post:3154e900-1d72-450c-b54a-4e4fa952f3bb">Re: When did we lose our imagination?</a>:
[QUOTE]That would be this one, right?
Posted by lunarsongbird[/QUOTE]

Yes, ma'am. That's the one, lol. I love that picture!

lunarsongbird

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_did-lose-imagination?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:f905bc5f-d943-479a-8b51-366d0a8b43a4Post:381f4b7c-d64a-4ff1-ae58-4bdf00cf8a9b">Re: When did we lose our imagination?</a>:
[QUOTE]I used to be intensely creative, always writing stories and imagining new ways of life. Somewhere along the way I lost a lot of that. It makes me sad. I try to do some creative writing but it's not as easy as you used to be. <strong> How do you become more creative after you've lost a lot of it because of age and the need to be super analytical in work? 
</strong>Posted by LivLeighton[/QUOTE]

I often wonder this myself.

I was just thinking about creating a creature/being/thing that is totally unique...and I realized I would always be depending on something that already exists in nature.

Are there any ideas that are ever TRULY original? Do we have to depend on things we already know...because, well- that's what we know?

dwest2201

I used to be creative and thought I was still somewhat...then my son grew old enough to have an imagination of his own.  And that's when I realized how uncreative I am.  It's kind of sad...but I'm enjoying watching his imagination continue to grow, and mine shrink!

lunarsongbird

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_did-lose-imagination?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:f905bc5f-d943-479a-8b51-366d0a8b43a4Post:d14ed601-59e2-44da-b06c-9a0c25958df9">Re: When did we lose our imagination?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: When did we lose our imagination? : Was the idea that your student shared with you COMPLETELY original, or did it build on something else? ETA: I somehow just hit 4000 posts. I am a PW apparently. 
Posted by LivLeighton[/QUOTE]

It built on something else...kinda... traveling to the center of the moon (similar to traveling to the center of earth...) but some of the technology and experience was really new.

thejucheidea

As I've mentioned before, I have manic depression. Prior to being medicated, I was extremely creative. I sang, drew, painted, played piano, wrote hundreds of pages of intense fiction... but I also didn't sleep and didn't associate well with people because I thought they were out to get me.

So now I'm medicated and I've lost all of my creativity. I used to draw at least four or five good drawings a week and now I've done all of one drawing in the last two years. I've been instructed by my therapist to go ahead and begin drawing and singing again to see if it can help bring me out of my despondent funk.

It really, really sucks to go from ultra mega creative to uncreative. We've tried to back off my medication a few times to see if the creativity will seep through again, but unfortunately, it usually happens that after a couple of months at a lower dosage, I start getting cripplingly paranoid and have to go up on the meds again. It's awful ;_;.

lunarsongbird

Stillwell- I'm sorry that you are struggling. That really sucks.

So would you say that people who lose touch with reality are more creative, because then you aren't confined to what you already know?

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_did-lose-imagination?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:f905bc5f-d943-479a-8b51-366d0a8b43a4Post:60d09f91-a8a7-4cf0-9f98-0f87e287ce57">Re: When did we lose our imagination?</a>:
[QUOTE]Stillwell- I'm sorry that you are struggling. That really sucks. :( So would you say that people who lose touch with reality are more creative, because then you aren't confined to what you already know?
Posted by lunarsongbird[/QUOTE]
That's the rumor at least. I've heard that a lot of the greatest artists have been manic depressive. You definitely have a different outlook on life when you're cruising a manic high. It's absolutely amazing. I'd love being hypomanic all the time, but there's the inevitable crash that makes it unbearable. When I was riding mania, it was like being a damn honey badger. I did not give two f*cks and I would draw when I wanted to even if it was in the middle of something else I was supposed to be doing. It was so awesome.

Now, whenever I sit down to draw or get ready to sing, I'm embarrassed. I feel like I'm going to be judged by an empty room or my loved ones. It's awful :<.

IrishDreamer

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_did-lose-imagination?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:f905bc5f-d943-479a-8b51-366d0a8b43a4Post:a5b593c3-257e-44cb-8962-0c3a11ac5ea2">Re: When did we lose our imagination?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: When did we lose our imagination? : That's the rumor at least. I've heard that a lot of the greatest artists have been manic depressive. You definitely have a different outlook on life when you're cruising a manic high. It's absolutely amazing. I'd love being hypomanic all the time, but there's the inevitable crash that makes it unbearable. When I was riding mania, it was like being a damn honey badger. I did not give two f*cks and I would draw when I wanted to even if it was in the middle of something else I was supposed to be doing. It was so awesome. Now, whenever I sit down to draw or get ready to sing, I'm embarrassed. I feel like I'm going to be judged by an empty room or my loved ones. It's awful :<.
Posted by ahstillwell[/QUOTE]

Next time I'm in Cookville, TN - we will have to meet up in Nashville, and go to a karaoke bar. I am the Queen of embarassing myself onstage :) Maybe someone else being with you or singing with you will help??

SopChick

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_did-lose-imagination?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:f905bc5f-d943-479a-8b51-366d0a8b43a4Post:a5b593c3-257e-44cb-8962-0c3a11ac5ea2">Re: When did we lose our imagination?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: When did we lose our imagination? : That's the rumor at least. I've heard that a lot of the greatest artists have been manic depressive. You definitely have a different outlook on life when you're cruising a manic high. It's absolutely amazing. I'd love being hypomanic all the time, but there's the inevitable crash that makes it unbearable. When I was riding mania, it was like being a damn honey badger. I did not give two f*cks and I would draw when I wanted to even if it was in the middle of something else I was supposed to be doing. It was so awesome. <strong>Now, whenever I sit down to draw or get ready to sing, I'm embarrassed. I feel like I'm going to be judged by an empty room or my loved ones. It's awful :<.</strong>
Posted by ahstillwell[/QUOTE]
I honestly think this is the biggest thing holding people's creativity back. The fear of being judged or even judging one's self can be incredibly hindering. Kids don't care if their idea might sound weird, or that they can't stay in tune when they sing, but somewhere along the way we start to notice, feel, anticipate, and worry about the reactions of others to what we're doing, and we start to become self-conscious and censor ourselves. Most of the creative and innovative people in history were complete honey badgers.

I'm sorry ahstillwell :(