Saturday, February 13, 2016

Expanding the Imagination



An article in Space.com inspired me to write this post. http://www.space.com/31865-three-new-lego-space-sets.html

Where will the next dreamers come from? The writers of science fiction books and movies? The scientists, explorers?

Much has been written about the latest Star Wars movie Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Not all of it good. Take it from a long-time Star Wars afionada and the grandmother of a six- and 8-year-old who are crazy about anything Star Wars, the movie was great. I wanted to see the movie with them, to share the excitement and to find out what they liked. However, circumstances prevented that. So they were all geared up to call me . . . until their mother said no spoilers. That put a damper on their enthusiasm. After I saw the movie, they happily shared all the “exciting” parts.

Something else those grandchildren are crazy about are LEGOs. At their house, they have several Friends and Star Wars sets. On the other hand, I have the plain building sets—some their mother and uncle played with thirty-plus years ago along with new ones. My thinking is to let the kids create whatever they want. During a recent school snow day spent at my house, they not only devised structures, they put on skits based on the “underworld” scenes they created with LEGOs.

I love watching creativity at work. Storytelling, skits, building blocks. Whether it’s building kits or making up stories based on movies and TV shows, their imaginations soar. A site we’ve used for several years to write stories is My Storymaker from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The program keeps improving, offering more choices for the kids to make up a story. (They talk, I type.)

The more opportunities we give children to use their imagination the better dreamers they’ll become. If they can dream it, anything is possible. Our next storytellers, filmmakers, scientists, astronauts will come from those who were encouraged to use their imagination as children.

Diane Burton writes science fiction romance, romantic suspense, and mysteries. Her latest science fiction romance release is The Protector (An Outer Rim Novel: Book 3). She blogs here on the 13th of the month and on her own blog on Mondays.



19 comments:

Nancy Gideon said...

Great post, Di!! I love coaxing my 8-yr old grandunit to create stories.Such fresh and untapped imagination. That's where I started . . . a few years ago. I made my boys build the Lego set they bought at least once using directions but then they went wild with their own creations. They still play like excited 8-yr olds when given the chance.

Elizabeth Meyette said...

Diane you are echoing Elizabeth Gilbert in her latest book "Big Magic." I love her concept of creating because it is what we are created for - and the end doesn't matter. My friend Linda Z. Smith taught a class called "Bad Art" validating the process rather than the product. Nice post!

Maris said...

Excellent post, Diane. I hope lots of mothers of young children read this. We need to let children feel free to try new ways of expressing themselves. Forget the coloring within the lines, the set of directions for Legos, the projects that have a list of directions that must be followed. The best gift for a child? A big cardboard box (the kind that furniture or appliances come in), a box of crayons, and an adult around to cut out parts of the box, as directed by the child.

Marissa Garner said...

I love to hear about kids using their own imaginations to play. It seems that in this world of electronic babysitters, too much is already programmed for them.

M.J. Schiller, Romance Author said...

Thanks for posting this, Diane! You just made me create a folder for my bookmark bar called, "For the Grandkids." And I don't even have grandkids! Love this idea! I agree with all the other comments here. Kids don't create anymore. They dull their minds by sitting in front of computer/TV screens letting someone else dictate their entertainment. Creativity is so important even in situations that may seem non-creative. Problem solving involves creativity. And if our children can't think outside the box, their world is limited. Thank you for sharing!

Susan Coryell said...

I come from a long line of writers and the links in the chain just keep on forming. I have at least one grand child who, at the age of 8, already knows she wants to be a writer--she already IS a writer. I love watching her brain cells multiply as she creates stories. Thanks for a great post!

Maureen said...

What a great post!

Diane Burton said...

Nancy, love your expression "fresh and untapped imagination." We are so lucky to have grandchildren who aren't afraid to share that imagination.

Diane Burton said...

Elizabeth, I haven't read Gilbert's book. Isn't she echoing what we tell new writers (and remind ourselves) that the journey is more important than the destination.

Diane Burton said...

Maris, my kids played with the empty refrigerator (or whatever) box. I saw something really cool. FB, maybe? The kid was inside the box with markers or crayons and was decorating it. Really neat idea.

Diane Burton said...

Marissa, I love that my daughter & her husband limit the amount of "screen" time their kids have. I try to follow their rules. I couldn't believe how long the kids played dress up. Not even one plead to watch TV or play on my phone.

Diane Burton said...

MJ, I love your "grandma" folder. Problem solving is a lifelong skill.

Diane Burton said...

Susan, good expression "watching the brain cells multiply." Oh, yeah. Love watching that, too.

Diane Burton said...

Thanks, Maureen.

Kara O'Neal said...

We are creators in this house. My husband can draw and write. And takes great photos. My daughter is a musician and writer. My baby is an artist. And my middle son does it all -- writes, draws, creates, plays multiple instruments, and he can sing. It's wonderful. Our house is never boring, but strangely - usually quiet. We are very quiet with our hobbies and creations. It is amazing to pass things on to our children and grandchildren. Thanks so much for the post. I enjoyed it.

Diane Burton said...

Kara, what an interesting home! Love to hear others fostering creativity.

Leah St. James said...

Oh, you've brought back vivid memories of Legos strewn across the living room floor, dining room table and my sons' bedrooms--everywhere. Not to mention that stabbing pain when you step on one. :-) You're so right, Diane. Thanks for the reminder how important it is to dream.

Diane Burton said...

Leah, now you've brought back some memories. Stabbing foot pain is right. LOL Good thing I controlled my mouth. Otherwise I would've expanded my kids' & grandkids' vocabulary.

Alicia Dean said...

Shoot! Sorry I'm late to the post. Great article! I love that your grandchildren are exercising their imagination. My kids never played with Legos and I don't have grandchildren, so I haven't experienced the Lego stuff specifically, but my kids definitely had wild imaginations. :)