A Life of the Imagination
by Starcat

I enjoy living a “life of the imagination.” The phrase itself came to me at some point, popping into my consciousness and immediately embraced as something that describes me, at least when I’m at my best. What does it mean? It’s about letting your creativity flow, allowing yourself to be whimsical and fanciful, and noticing (and being amused by) the little fun quirky moments that arise in life.

Everyday life in the mainstream culture doesn’t encourage us to live this way. We’re “all business” much of the time, doing our work, taking care of practical needs, keeping our heads down, and getting things checked off the to-do list. Our leisure time is often filled with things that come from other peoples’ imaginations – movies, music, and TV shows that are no doubt entertaining, but aren’t an expression of our own essence. Advertisements urge us to go shopping in order to be happy.

So how do we shift out of this serious, boring mode and encourage ourselves to use our imaginations? I think of my imaginative aspects as part of my fae self. Here are some ideas for encouraging your faerie spirit:

• Play games that bring out your imaginative powers. Role-playing games are great for this. If that’s not your cup of tea, how about I Spy, Charades, or 20 Questions? For a real workout, hang out with some young kids and play imagination games with them for an hour or two.
• Be mischievous! With kindness in mind, play benevolent tricks on your family and friends. Make up and share new jokes or tongue twisters. Write silly poetry. Draw cartoons on your friends’ white board or grocery list. Post goofy sayings on their Facebook wall.
• Dress to express your unique self. I adore the fashion statements that many homeschooled kids make, which have nothing to do with the latest trends. Add some accessories or combine colors in new ways, just for fun. Or go all-out with your own “look.” If people stare, smile and give them the peace sign!
• Connect with others who allow their unique selves to shine. The society encourages us to try and keep up with the Joneses, but aren’t the most interesting people the ones who are a bit, well, strange? Encourage them to keep it up!
• Look for odd coincidences and synchronicities, and say thanks to the universe for them. If you see something that is strange, fun, and unusual, take a picture or describe it to a friend. For extra credit, create your own! Laugh out loud for no good reason. Dance in the grocery store. Speak in made-up languages. Or whatever feels right!