Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Six

I struggle with a lot. A lot. But one of my biggest issues is listening. I am so packed full of opinions, I can't wait to interject or give advice, pushing my agenda. Problem is, no one gives a shit, besides me. Why do you think I'm writing these posts? I justify this, because it's written and people can come to my website to read it only if they want to. Otherwise they can ignore me. I'm fine with that. 

I'm certainly not alone in my deficiency. Most of us suck at listening. It really does take practice. A lot of it. I'm good at being quiet while people talk, looking on, attentive, sometimes with my brow knitted or the slow head nod in agreement with what is being spoken, but am I really listening? No. I'm taking it in, but I'm urgent to use my modicum of wisdom to help them solve their problem. 'Here's what you should do...' Bullshit. I'm making them my audience.

Have you ever cleared your mind, leaned in and only, really, truly just listened? Until a week ago, my answer was 'no'. Big, granite sculpted 'no'. But I've been trying to be aware. Cognizant. Clear-mind. No retorts or opinions on deck. Listening. It is crazy how much more you can absorb. It lands and feels different. So weird! But it is hard to remember to do all the time. I'm gonna keep working on it.

Listening is another key to growing your Imagination. Listening, empathy and Imagination are aligned. To really know people, to Imagine yourself in their shoes, to empathize, you have to listen like that. Forget yourself for a few minutes and listen. You're with yourself all the time. You have the floor for 24 hours out of the 24 hour day. You can handle sharing it for an hour or so every day. 

One of my favorite quotes ever is;
'You can't say anything you don't already know.' -- Unknown

Listen. Be curious. Expand your mind and Imagination. We are pliable. Nothing is certain, it's our best guess. Take in all the information you can, from both sides and think about it. Turn it over, look at it from every angle. We should be proud that we change our minds. That's evolution. Growing and maturing. Those are the people that survive. People who are stuck in their ways, will stay stuck, like mammoths in the tar. Not many mammoths around any more.

Truly listen. Erase you for a minute and listen. 

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Four

We were discussing the five things we would rescue from a fire. Not counting family/friends. Here are mine; 1. Our dogs, Bean and Gracie -- 2. Journals -- 3. Photos -- 4. All my writing and notes -- 5. Computer and Hard Drives

What were yours?

I have some tangible things on my list, as I'm sure you do too, but what are the tangible items? What do they represent? Why are they important? The answer invariably comes back, 'Things that can't be replaced or reproduced.' These are all items with a tremendous amount of sentimental value. Things that don't have a price. My computer and hard drives(cell phone falls here) are important, because they contain photos and writing that I've done. These physical things hold the sentiment. The memories. The irreplaceable beauty created by your Imagination. 

There will always be a few outliers, maybe those jet skis are your babies, but almost everyone's list will be similar to mine, with some small derivations, all rife with sentiment, all things that we didn't have to buy with money. All things that live in our heart and Imagination.

When faced with losing everything, we save things that cost (almost) no money. We save memories and our Imagination creations. That's what matters. So, why do we spend 90% of our time chasing money. Sure, everyone has to work and have money to survive, but why do we sacrifice our time working, trying to get ahead, at the expense of family and friends? At the expense of ourselves and our mental well-being? Why do we chase cash to buy that new car, when your time and money could be used to create memories, those irreplaceable memories that we rescue from the fire? Why are our priorities so skewed?

You have got to recognize what is most important to you and throw 90% of your time and hard work behind it. Try it for a week, see how it feels, see how clear your mind will become. Imagine what kind of person you want to be and be it.

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty

How do you capture someone's Imagination? Is it capturing? Or is it a stimulant? It starts first with being in touch with yourself. Being so good, that you can crawl inside your own skin and having all the tools to navigate anywhere you wanna go. You have topographic maps of your brain and heart and soul and the Moral Compass. But if your Imagination is fantastic, you don't need any of the gear to find every part of your being. Snap your fingers and you're there. Every place you go you love, even if it's long buried shame and guilt. You love that, too, because it's part of you. It made you you. Embrace it all. Fear nothing. 

You get there and your Imagination has so much more time to explore and concern itself with so many other things. It can take flight, no longer weighed down by self doubt and fear and anger. You shed your shell and fly into the infinite. There you will find the extraordinary and it's all yours. It will manifest itself in confidence, possibly even charisma. That is the ability, The Force, the Super Power to capture Imaginations. But it is not capturing. Imaginations are too fast and we can only see our own, unless the person uses art or kindness to show you their true inner selves. Imagination is quick. It's hard to catch, even when it's your own and no outsider is capable of it. 

When we say 'capturing Imagination', what is really happening is that a person with an amazing Imagination/confidence/charisma (this could be you if it's not already) has a dream/vision/plan/art that is so powerful and resonant, it transports you to the same Imagination place within your own mind. Like when you look at a painting hanging in a museum, or reading a spectacular novel, or watching an amazing movie, or listening to a speech or someone tell an awesome story. Your Imagination springs to life and begins to whir. Therefore, it's not so much capturing, which we discussed is impossible, but stimulating and growing the Imagination of the listeners and onlookers. 

Know yourself. Love yourself--even all the dog shit and ugliness that's congealed and buried in us all. Love it all! You're beautiful. Then you will unleash the full potential of your Imagination and it will stimulate others to do the same. We are well short on Dreamers and Imagineers and we need all of you to keep the lights on bright.

Imagine! Dream! Share yourself with the World--especially the buried you, the one even you haven't seen maybe ever and share it with the World!

You're awesome! Pass it on!

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty Nine

I am an Imagination Salesman.

I sell the greatest and most powerful thing in the Universe. It's beautiful and sexy and exciting and I love sharing it with the World. I will be a great Imagination Salesman, one of the best ever. I'll sell happiness, empathy and oneness. 

I am not afraid of showing the Universe exactly who I am. I am not afraid of being told no. I am not afraid of rejection. I am not afraid to jump. I am not afraid to fall. I am not afraid of the unknown. I am not afraid to look silly. I am not afraid to chase. I am not afraid of being obnoxious. I am not afraid of money. I am not afraid of success. I am not afraid to work hard. I am not afraid to have a lotta people counting on me. I am not afraid of failure, because it doesn't exist if I keep trying. I am not afraid of fame and all of its trappings. I'm not afraid to be persistent. I'm not afraid to talk to anyone. I am not afraid to walk away if they're fucking with my vision. I am not afraid to walk away if they wanna go against my morals and values and life philosophy. I am not afraid to make people upset and angry. I am not afraid to have people hate me. I am not afraid to ask for help. I am not afraid to give much of myself to help the World. I am not afraid of pressure. I am not afraid to be broke in pursuit of writing and filmmaking. I am not afraid of pain. I am not afraid of darkness. I am not afraid of evil. I am not afraid of secrets. I am not afraid of power. I am not afraid of being super weird. I am not afraid to be ME!!!

I am an Imagination Salesman!!!

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty Seven

You're amazing. We know that. Sure, you can occasionally be rude, dismissive, judgmental, petty, caddy, fussy, whiny, obsessive, manipulative, cold, bitchy, an asshole, lame, dumb, unpleasant, smelly, old, loud, annoying, obnoxious, stupid, moronic, unrealistic, vapid, vitriolic, bombastic, quiet, self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic, clumsy, hacky, copy cat, clingy, needy, co-dependent, angry, violent, racist, stereotyper, ugly, gross, greasy, unctuous, overbearing, hamfisted, pussy-footed, scared, frightened, cloying, mendacious, dick, pussy, fuckhead, fuckwad, prick, prat, dipshit, cock, bollocks, hermit, non-communicative, introvert, extrovert, slow, too fast, insufferable and a nincompoop. You're never these things for long. Fleeting bursts of obnoxious. Usually, you're a beautiful human being.

All other people are occasionally rude, dismissive, judgmental, petty, caddy, fussy, whiny, obsessive, manipulative, cold, bitchy, an asshole, lame, dumb, unpleasant, smelly, old, loud, annoying, obnoxious, stupid, moronic, unrealistic, vapid, vitriolic, bombastic, quiet, self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic, clumsy, hacky, copy cat, clingy, needy, co-dependent, angry, violent, racist, stereotyper, ugly, gross, greasy, unctuous, overbearing, hamfisted, pussy-footed, scared, frightened, cloying, mendacious, dick, pussy, fuckhead, fuckwad, prick, prat, dipshit, cock, bollocks, hermit, non-communicative, introvert, extrovert, slow, fast, insufferable and a nincompoop. Other people are never these things for long. Fleeting bursts of obnoxious. Usually, they're beautiful human beings.

If we can recognize this and forgive ourselves and others for their foibles and missteps, then we can know true empathy. If we can learn to see it all the time, then we won't get angry at ourselves or others, because they (and you) are doing the best that they can.

If we can do that, Imagine ourselves in all people and things, see you in them, then our World will immediately become more beautiful. Empathy needs a great Imagination. Practice Imagining. Practice always and like  magic, everything is you -- Amazing!!!

Philosophy of Imagination*Three

I wish I had a deeper knowledge of Philosophy and its history sooner than two years ago. I've been writing for 22 years now, short fiction and screenplays mostly and Philosophy would have helped a lot over its 20 year absence from my Imagination scope. But, we should heed the words of Bob Dylan -- 'Don't look back.' He was a smart motherfucker. To the now and the future. The past can only be remembered. 

I find comfort and solace in the knowledge that writing and philosophy are very similar. Writing is putting your thought/Imagination to paper. Philosophy is thought/Imagination. Put it to paper, boom, same same. I write, so I am a Writer. I think and write about it, so I am a Philosopher. I guess I've been a Philosopher this whole time, it just wasn't defined in my mind.

If you want to be something, do what that something does and you will be it. If you want to be great at something, repeat the first step a lot. Persist and you will become the great something that you wanted to be. Listen to your heart and guts. They'll show you the way.

Now, I return to our discussion on the Philosophy of the Imagination as a proper Philosopher. Let's provoke thought and mine for the profound. Philosophy kicks fucking ass!

Philosophy of Imagination *Two

I am going to keep writing posts (I don't care for the word 'blog', it sounds like a racial slur, or a boring game, or a place you get stuck.) about the Philosophy of Imagination. I'll try to have beginnings and ends, but one will probably bleed into the next, with no discernible segue. In addition to being a writer and filmmaker, my third career passion is philosophy. Didn't know it until about two years ago. Arizona isn't the most enlightened place and I always saw philosophy as the 'tree falls in the woods' shit. But it is the history of thought and thought is the tree born of the Imagination seed. So philosophy comes from Imagination. Which now begets this blah-gag post (see, that word sucks nuts -- 'Im a blah-gagger!'). And now the whole web page.

Philosophy of Imagination!!!

The two things in this World that fascinate me the most. Together! In one place (that we're not calling a blog for creative and Imaginative reasons.) We will continue to discuss Imagination henceforth and as our Imagination grows, we will come up with a way cooler word than blah-gag.

We will continue to grow our Imaginations, because we are the dreamers and the storytellers.

The best fiction is about truth that hasn't been been proven or discovered yet. We blaze the trail of the rainbow and light, leaving behind a trail of Imagination for others to follow.

Philosophy of Imagination

Where did Imagination come from? Why did it come? Did it come all at once? Did the first animal that got Imagination look out into the World it inhabited and say 'I think I can make this a better place', in whatever animal language they spoke? Or did he Imagine saying that to himself? And did it freak him out that his own voice was suddenly in his head? Or did it happen gradually to species of animals? One step at a time as the generations moved down the line of time? It seems that it would have had to come gradually, as the brain is the most complex known thing in our Universe. That it needed time to grow and mature. If you just handed someone/something Imagination (and therefore consciousness as I believe the ability to have a 'me', to know that you exist, to ask questions, to have feelings, to create, to learn is all born of Imagination *which is why it gets capitalized) it would wig them out. They would have no idea of the self and suddenly it's upon them -- they would think they were crazy bananas. But crazy is an abstraction, too. Maybe they would freeze? Their instinct for survival being drowned out by all this amazing Imagination? I believe it came on slow. Like life. Like geology. Like the coalescing of the Galaxies and Solar Systems and Planets. It.                     Takes.                                            A.                                           Long.                                                                                                                      Time. But who were the first animals/beings with full Imaginations? Where they could feel/know a self? Where they could feel emotion? What was the first emotion? Have to be fear? The instinct of survival that just goes. Is Imagination contagious? Are animals like dogs more likely to have Imaginations (or more acute Imaginations) because they're around people more? Is the process of evolution sped up when animals, insects, human beings are around more Imagination? Imagination is everything, but at its core, where Imagination gets its heart and power and kindness is that it looks at the World as it is and says 'I can make this place, this mind, this life better.' 

If we can grow everyone's Imagination, this World will be a better place for everyone.