IPP: From Page to Stage

Getting in touch with my imagination

What is imagination?

I view the imagination as a separate layer of the mind. It is located somewhere between the conscious and the subconscious portions of the brain, and it blurs that border ever so slightly. The imagination is wit and creativity, often at odds with the conscious, more rational side of a person, but sometimes an artist or a writer or anyone, really, has to learn to let the imagination win a couple fights.

What is an image in the mind?

An image in the mind is something you can see without seeing – that’s all I ever think about, really. How can I imagine a scene when my eyes do not register any visual information? How do I picture things as I read when all my brain should be registering is black ink on white paper? Fascinating.

What is the relationship between imagination and image?

The imagination gives rise to images, creates them – perhaps this is why that strange phenomenon happens when we read. Visual information is the conscious layer of the mind. Dreams are the subconscious, in which we don’t see but the brain is tricked into believing that we do. Perhaps an image is a strange blend of this.

What is the relationship between imagination and image and the sensible (or sensed) world?

An image is a poor word – it implies merely something of the sight, when the imagination has the potential to create a world. For the imaginations of the sensible world, I prefer the word ‘scene’. I create scenes in my head with vivid colors, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures.

What is the nature of the relationship between me and my imagination?

It’s strange, but I take my relationship with my imagination a bit far – I use my imagination to personify it, which is strange to think because then the imagination is personifying itself, but details, details, haha. My imagination is almost a rival to me, a friend that I can argue with. After all, he’s always tossing me ideas when I’m in no situation to catch them, and then he insists that I work with them as fast as I can. He also has too many ideas, and his argument is that I ‘work too slow’ when the problem is that he’s too efficient and moves from one idea to another too fast! I can’t complete anything that way! But in the end, I think my imagination and I have an understanding.

Can I talk to it?

Yes, given quiet and some concentration, I can speak to my imagination. In fact, I enjoy speaking to it aloud in the privacy of my room when I am working.

Can it talk to me?

Yes, it can talk to me – that’s what I call it when inspiration strikes me at the worst possible moment. It’s as if I’m just in a taxi, and I notice how the rain smears against the windshield when the wipers go fast, and then my muse is suddenly next to me hissing ‘write about this!’ and proceeds to harass me until I comply.

Can it teach me anything?

My imagination notices far more things than my rational, conscious one does. It seeks out intrigue in the most mundane of things, like the steam rising from a cup of tea. My imagination is also the thing that prompts me into taking interest in people and makes me wonder about all the stories that go untold in the world.

Can I deliberately and consciously “make” images?

I can easily conjure images in my mind, especially with a strong vision. Even more so with some specific music to help me get into the right mindset for the scene I have in mind.

Can I deliberately and consciously “erase” images?

Alas, this one is not possible. I can try to ignore images and scenes in my mind, yes, but ultimately I can’t deliberately erase them. They’re stuck with me until my imagination gets bored and they fade from memory like a dream.

Are images always pictures? Do they ever include words and/or other sensory perceptions?

As I stated before, images are not always pictures – to me, they include words, sounds, dialogue, emotions, time, things beyond the senses. They can be short little scenes or whole mental movies. That’s why I usually start to imagine things right before I sleep, so that I can have all the time I want and not have a scene cut short.

Is it possible to train, or educate, the imagination in order to make it more responsive, more dependable, and more focused?

Yes – I am a firm believer that the imagination and the mind, like anything else in the body, is like a muscle and can be honed with time. Imagination takes practice, like anything takes practice to better. I can honestly affirm that it has become easier to form scenes in my mind as I did it more frequently, and my bond with my imagination is far stronger now than it was in the past. As a result, my imagination is more responsive, more dependable, and yes, more focused.