A few days ago I was showing some friends a little vanity stool a client asked me to design and create.  It isn’t often one gets to do both, but that is another discussion.  It isn’t big, but it is a bit unusual in that the seat is suspended from the arms by four ropes.  My friend asked me, “Where do you come up with these ideas?” The best answer I had at the time was, “I don’t really know.”

A few days went by and as is often the case I was in the throws of the mindless but critical task of final sanding.  I kind of like these mindless times as they allow me to think about stuff, indeed, even create, while still accomplishing something else.  My friend’s question and my lame answer came to mind.  Then a word came to mind, IMAGINATION. Then, elementary school came to mind when, “Day Dreaming Danny” (there is actually a song by that name) was reprimanded for not paying attention.  Or worse, called upon to answer some obvious question.  When he was clueless, because he was doing, or being or imagining something else, he was made to look foolish.  I get it, and it did indeed pull me back from wherever I was, but it was only temporary.  I kept on imagining and day dreaming.  I think it’s a common strength, yes strength among us creative types even though it was much to the frustration of teachers and parents trying to “drive in some semblance of intelligence”.

Imagination it seems, is not that much revered, yet without it where would we be?  Some I fear have imagination but are afraid to act on what they imagine because it may be a “Stupid” idea.  My company’s name is Fine Ideas Furniture, and most have been fine ideas, but trust, me a few have not.  Failures happen, and I think they must, because they, in a similar way as successes, help to shape us. Just remember, failures are events not a condition.  Besides, without them where would improvement come from? And without imagination, where would amazing buildings, or paintings, or sculptures or novels or poems or whatevers come from. In my case, where would unusual pieces of furniture come from?

So, dream and imagine away.  It’s good for what ails us.