Procrastination leads to Creativity and Imagination

Imagination, both synthetic and creative, forms the building block of human evolution. Everything that we see today, had been just a figment of imagination centuries back. For example, what had once been imagined would enable people across the globe to see and talk, now translates to apps like Zoom. Further, why do certain startups succeed while others do not? It is because they are originals. They have a natural trial and error process going on at the back of their mind. They think and rethink ideas until they arrive at the perfect conclusion. The best, or rather fun way to be an original, is to procrastinate. Studies show that procrastinators come up with way more creative ideas than those who do not. They use the time to evaluate the ideas and come up with something that fits all the parameters of the problem they are solving. The great Leonardo Da Vinci had taken sixteen long years to complete the Mona Lisa and yet, it stands as one of the most iconic pieces of art that ever existed.

Take it ‘easy’

Always choose a lazy person to do a hard job because such a person will always find an easy way to do it.- believed both Bill Gates and Walter Chrysler. A corollary follows- the harder we work, the less productive we get. Without any downtime to refresh and recharge our imaginative skills, we are less efficient, make more mistakes, and get less engaged with what we are doing. Amid this epidemic of work, perhaps a healthy dose of deliberate daydreaming can open up our mind’s eye. Studies have revealed that taking breaks and allowing our thoughts to drift can help the brain retain information, refocus, gain fresh perspective and make new connections between ideas. Indeed, one should not undervalue the power of a wandering mind. Instead of filling the space with more and more work or digital distractions, step back, recline and let your mind climb the flight of fancy.

In fact introverts, who are otherwise physically inactive, are actually running a constant hum of activity in the mind. They love to indulge themselves in what we call “creative idleness”. They value idleness which is increasingly undervalued. Clive Hamilton defines introversion as a “life defined by the pursuit of solitude”. Though they prefer to be alone, they are usually the people with an active imagination and a busy mind. Some of the world’s top inventors like Bill Gates, Larry Page, Albert Einstein and others have always preferred solitude, have possessed the traits of introversion and have showcased extraordinary imaginative skills as well.

It is in this inner world that Constructive Imagination persists. Underneath the surface, there are sparks of imagination waiting to ignite. This ability to focus inward is a major contributing factor to the creative and imaginative abilities of the introvert, whose world is vivacious and vibrantly detailed.

Beyond the sensory world, yet for all

Imagination made way for the existence of many new subatomic particles that were invisible to the naked eye. Imagination gave way to hypotheses which were again experimentally verified and then theoretically published. Albert Einstein said “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution”. Mankind had seen pictures of mobile spheres, bullet trains and skyscrapers, much before these had come into existence. This is the power of imagination. It is the mental ability to give shape to an abstract presence which is not perceived by five senses and prior experiences. In fact, children often perceive the world differently from adults as they have the most powerful form of imagination since it has remained largely untouched by the understanding of reality that characterizes adults.

Warning note: Overthinking is not Imagining

Now when on one hand imagination saves, on the other hand it harms. While imagining, you dream of the future you want to create; but when you imagine an adverse situation in future and prepare yourself accordingly, you tend to overthink. Have you ever asked a doctor why a patient blabbers when he is down with fever, 103 degree F?. Well doctors say that the brain of a person suffering from fever stops working effectively. No new ideas get registered and the subconscious mind takes the place of the conscious mind and that is indeed a harm for the human brain as pressure is imposed on the delicate parts of the brain, resulting in the death of a person even.

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will”, aptly says George Bernard Shaw. Let your imagination be free to create the world you dream to live in, where the unthinkable is possible.

About the author/s

The article has been contributed by Annwesha, Bishakha, Meghna, Shrija and Srija– students of St Augustine’s Day School, Barrackpore.