I believe that fantasy in the meaning of imagination is very important. We shouldn't stick too close to everyday reality but give room to the reality of the heart, of the mind, and of the imagination. -Hayao Miyazaki
When I was young, I was so fascinated with the magical world. I would look out into the night and imagine a world surrounded by magic. I would leave small bowls of milk and honey for the Faeries hidden in the night, hoping they would visit me. Sometimes, I even closed my eyes and imagined I was flying through the sky while my parents drove.
I was young and my mind would wonder. For me, my imagination was a portal to another world where anything was possible. My imagination has not faded through the years. I sometimes I sing to the Faeries I believed in as a child while walking at night. I still look up at the sky while I traveled for wrestling tournaments. I still find myself going back to those worlds I created.
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I find imagination to be important, no matter who the person is. Sometimes, we need to escape from the harsh realities and find our way back to those worlds we once traveled to.
I've noticed lately that the current music and even film hold nostalgia of our childhood stories. Alessia Cara came out with her song "Wild Things" singing about the children's book "Where The Wild Things Are". Her music video shows teenagers going on their little adventures and escaping reality. Like the main character, Max, the teens escape from their reality and find comfort among others. In her video, she opens up with:
"To me, Where the Wild Things Are is a place that exists in our minds. It's a place of liberty and shamelessness. It can take a split second in our lifetime to find it. But once you do, you'll be free."
I agree with Cara. Once we find that place, we become free. We become free from our lives, free from ourselves, and free eternally.
Ruth B also sings a song called "Lost Boy" about a childhood story of Peter Pan. In the story of Peter Pan, the three children ran away to Neverland with Peter Pan to escape from this world. In her song, she says
"'Run, run lost boy,' they say to me, 'away from all reality.'"
This home is for lost boys like her, where they are free. Neverland, at least for Ruth B, is a place for people like her to be free of everything, just like Cara's "Wild Things".
Many films have come out that are remakes of our childhood movies such as "The Legend of Tarzan", "The Jungle Book", "Be Our Guest" which is a remake of "Beauty and the Beast" and many more. Perhaps it a nostalgia that the writers and even the audience have of those childhood memories. Or perhaps there was a need to remake those classic films.
I look at this as a hope for our younger generations. Creativity and imagination struggled with a lot of generations, for whatever reason. Lots of Art programs in public schools across the nation cut their programs, which could be a reason why many children weren't as expressive as others.
Imagination is important. Without it, there could not be a possibility of half of the technology we have. I think if Hayao Miyazaki's "The Wind Rises" which shows the exact purpose of imagination even for someone who simply creates planes. Jiro looks at the world through different eyes, which helps him build amazing planes. He day dreams a lot, thinking of how a small adjustment can change the way the plane flies. A career that seems to rely on numbers and mechanics can also use the help of a creative mind.
Do not let go of that creative mind you possess. Hold on to it and lose yourself in those thoughts. Look up at the sky every now and then and see something more than just an open sky. We cannot truly live unless we possess imagination. Only then can we live. Only then, we are free.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. -Albert Einstein
