"A generation grew up on the dreams and ideas of others, as presented by movies and video games which more often than not were poor substitutes for a child’s imagination. Now see some cracks, a generation who at times does not feel fully alive, knowing they were meant for more and plagued with dissatisfaction. Looking for fulfillment in the story of Harry Potter, because they know they were meant to be heroes. Though we know there is a unique purpose for every individual at times we find ourselves lacking creativity in regards to seeing their potential and how it might be realized. Are we providing alternative avenues and opportunites to develop imagination– for a generation to dream and purpose who they might be?

“The artist must know from the beginning that he does not belong, for the artist’s deeper concern has always been not with what is taking place, but with the dimension of what might.” – Kay Boyle

I am not sure if I completely agree with the above statement by Kay Boyle, but I would say that the artist has the challenge of walking the tightrope between what is and what might be...Now as an adult I find there are areas in my life where imagination and creativity have been stifled, but I believe can be reawakened if I am intentional in fueling them. I see now more than ever the importance of having a rich interior life, not just being fed the dreams of others but cultivating dreams of my own."

            - Esther Maria Swaty, Frequency of Words 

I'm finding just how rare many parts of my childhood were.  My mom definitely brought home big refrigerator boxes that became trains, homes and secret hideouts from villains (or dirty cops).  We lived in a rich world of imagination all my life, we were princesses, in hiding in another country, or children in a big empty home where spies often tried to find us, dropping ropes from the roof and dropping down.  We'd spend hours sitting in a closet, hiding. Or, we ran a kingdom from the back yard (Okay, Kristin ran the kingdom).  We had names and giftings and relations and lineages and histories and rivals and battles and medicines.  As I've said before, the forbidden words in our home were: "I'm bored," a punishable offense.  I think forcing children to just sit at a table for hours is probably an old-Irish form of torture.  If it's not, I'm going to tell my children one day that it is.