On the Waves of Imagination

"Playing on the beach at Lincoln City, OR"  ~ photo by Lee G Young © 2014

When I taught in public school, a poster, hanging in my classroom said, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it. If you can imagine it, you can become it.”  The poster was meant to inform my students that it takes more than just thinking to be successful in making those dreams a reality. Sure, it takes hard work…. sometimes, a lot of it! But success always begins with an idea inspired by your imagination. It is born out of exploring answers to questions, like “What if…?” or “How could I ….?” . But you don’t have to go to school to learn how to use your powers of imagination. Even though you’re born knowing how to imagine, we just somehow forget to take time to engage that imagination, in the midst of the busyness of our life. Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “ The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” The opportunity to use your imagination is everywhere, in every experience…. especially in the natural world, where we are always inspired to open up a greater vision. 

"A walk at Lincoln City beach."  ~ photo by Lee G Young  © 2014

On my walk at Lincoln City Beach, by the Pacific Ocean, I saw many examples of how the natural elements of the seashore had inspired a creative curiosity in those who came there to play. Indeed, all five senses are naturally stimulated by a walk on the beach. As I walked down the shoreline, the wind  blew very hard, pressing on me, as if urging me to move forward, and my jacket filled up with air, ballooning out and making me look three times my size. I was surprised by the large number of people at the beach on this foggy and cool day. But even with the lack of sun and blue skies, many had still come to play and have a good time. Some, not being content to just enjoy the view, actually got into the water, as they jumped and frolicked in the midst of the rolling waves. 

"Building a Sand Castle at Lincoln City Beach."  ~ photo by Lee G Young  © 2014

There is something about being at the seashore and watching the never-ending rhythm of waves that seems to free our inhibitions and make us feel like a kid again. In hearing the sound of the surf, our rational brain slows down and we find ourselves in sync with that harmonious rhythm of nature. We have fun and laugh and play at the beach like no other place. The timeless sights and sounds activate our imagination, beckoning us to find ways to express the joy we feel here. We take off our shoes and feel the cool, wet, gritty sand on our feet, connecting to our mother earth with the love of a trusting child. 

"Sand castle at Lincoln City beach."  photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

Rather than stumbling around in the labyrinth of our thoughts, at the ocean, we are now more alive in the present moment, being grounded in its awesome beauty. At first, feeling overwhelmed by the crashing waves and the vastness of the ocean extending to the horizon, we stop and stare at the expanse of water and lose ourselves in the efforts take it all in. Too much for our finite minds, the energy of the experience of being with this natural wonder moves to our hearts, where it can be more fully understood. As our heart fills up with the energy of the ocean, it spills over into our center of creativity within us, where our imagination speaks to us saying, “Express your joy!”
Instinctively, we reach down and grab a handful of sand and form it into a shape… and then another….and another. Finally, without any plans or “help” from our inner critic, a sand castle is created. No directions were needed… your  imaginative “inner child” knew exactly what to do. Author, Ursula Le Guin, wrote, “The creative adult is the child who has survived.” And your “child”, who has been longing to play for some time, is not only surviving, but is thriving in this creative play by the sea.

"This gutsy guy did several summersaults in the air while windsurfing!" ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

Whether you are walking or jogging along the ocean’s edge or creating a sand castle, you’ll find your cares and concerns, that occupied you before you got there, are just carried away on the waves. There is no separation between you and those timeless waves, as all the natural elements there, including you, merge into a synchronicity with one heartbeat. Some people even gaze at the activity of waves, as they feel the winds push at them, and begin to imagine what it would be like to fly over the water. And with a leap of their imagination, they overcome the impossibilities of that dream… by windsurfing! Before they know it, they are leaping up off the waves and are carried by the wind into the blue sky. Muhammad Ali said in an interview once, “The man who has no imagination, has no wings.” With a little imagination and a lot of courage, windsurfing can help you overcome the limitations of gravity and allow you to fly above those waves, just as if you had wings! 

"Creative weather vane in front of a Lincoln City house."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks © 2014

Who knows exactly why walking and playing at the seashore seems to transform us into playful kids, but it does. Life by the ocean has a magical quality about it, where time seems to slow down against a backdrop of scenic beauty. Even many people, who live at the seashore, creatively decorate their homes with delightful signs and playful images and decor. The colors of many coastal houses are bright and cheerful, often having huge windows that allow for leisurely gazing at the activities of the seashore. 

"Gazing at the Pacific." ~ photo by Lee G Young  © 2014

When I need to slow down and connect to the essence of my being, I stroll on the beach. When I am feeling anxious and troubled, a walk at the seashore makes me feel more loved and grounded.  And when I am sad, due to some loss, watching the endless flow of waves seems to reassure me of an infinite destiny beyond my present limited vision. My walk at Lincoln City beach, as with all my walks at the seashore, opened up the treasure of my imagination. As I walked along the water’s edge, hearing the pounding surf and feeling the wind nudge me forward, I felt more confident of my place in the scheme of things.  Like the waves and the wind and the noisy seagulls, I, too, have a purpose and gift to offer the world. And with my imagination, freed up by this ocean front experience, I now walk in greater possibility …hand in hand with my happy “inner child”.
                                     

                                                                                 by Carol E Fairbanks, W.W.W.