My son asked me this morning if he could play on the computer. We have a policy in our home that before school, the computer can only be used for schoolwork. I said, “Sorry little buddy, you know the deal.” He walked away, quite disappointed.
Within minutes I head what sounded like exhuberant wailing in the kitchen. I walked in to find my little guy squealing with delight with a tin foil puck he had made, re-enacting various NHL hockey plays he has come to love.
Imagination.
An Imagination Workshop. For kids and teens.
The term has been used all over the Internet. Just run a search on it. It would need to be renamed, but that’s no big deal.
I see some other name, and a workshop over a weekend that teaches this generation to use their imaginations, inspired by live instructors, the “making of” portions of film DVDs (Lord Of The Rings, Narnia, etc.), writers/story shapers, artists, etc.
Kids and teens get a “splash” of art forms, buzzing the tower of their own imagination and awakening it to fresh perspectives on life, tastes of beauty, and even avocational and vocational possibilities.
The Goals: Inspiration, Formation, Teen Artistic Collectives/Communities, Mentoring Relationships, Sheer Joy
I’m sure someone is doing this, and we’ll be doing some version of it here in our town.
A COMMON NOTE ON DAN’S IDEAS:
Go ahead and use this idea, as I probably will never get the time to implement it. I’d rather you were helped by it as an entrepreneur, rather than me take it to my grave.
If you do use an idea from the IdeaMill, and do quite well with it, just “remember my family and I” in any way you deem appropriate! Or not. These ideas will not be copyrighted by me, and its your job to see if someone has invented this already as you develop a prototype.
5 Comments
our friend mcnair wilson does ‘imaginuity’ workshops and they are incredible - he was an ‘imagineer’ for disney working with michael eisner in the 80’s & 90’s. we blame him for making us so absolutely dissatisfied with the status quo!
We used to do similar things in drama workshops at school and college. There would be a random object in the middle of the room and we’d have to “turn it into something else” then improvise a scene around it. I think that what your son did is fantastic. He made the most of his avaliable resorces and had great fun anyway. Good lad!
Dan I think that kind of workshop could be used quite effectively as a prophetic activation. Very often what we “see” in our imagination as children are prophetic pictures God gives to us. If we’d learn to tap into it early before we grew up and got sophisticated, hearing/seeing God’s voice would be way simpler than we make it out to be.
-Robin
leave it to us to discuss this over the internet, whilst our children play.
Reminds me of my beloved job at Evergreen Center for Street Youth - remind me again God why it was right for me to resign?! (I personally believe this is one of the best jobs that exist on the earth - ok, for me
The next best thing to ‘playing’ with the imagination (creativity) is is facilitating inspiration for others.
I’m tempted right now to share all the different mediums, workshops, programs, mentorship stuff we did, I get so excited about it! But, do people really want to hear it? Ha ha.
I would concure: its a great idea! And a version of this should definetly take place in your town! We’ll have to chat later Dan
(August)
-andrea
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