Confessions of an over active imagination

I'm a secret shop owner and I haven't told anyone - confessions of an over-active imagination. 

I've had a shop for many years now. It's in Whitstable and sells all sorts of things from vintage shoes, hand-made jewellery, clothes and art. It's an amazing little place, packed from floor to ceiling with treasures; a duck-egg blue shop front, hand-painted sign, gold-etched lettering on the windows and wooden boxes filled with flowers out front. I hunt for things to put in my beautiful shop and it's quite a time consuming enterprise. Over the years, it has been my pride and joy. 

Thing is, I haven't actually told anyone that I have this shop, because it's... imaginary and only exists on a Pinterest board. 

Realising I'm a secret shop owner, I wondered how many people do the same kind of thing on Pinterest. How many people have beautiful houses on a board where they have picked out every bit of furniture and every soft furnishing? How many people are secret museum or gallery owners curating their very own collections? How many people have planned the perfect weddings when they're not even engaged?

That made me wonder what else goes on in the secret life of my imagination. Maybe these ring true for you?

"Everything you imagine is real." 

Pablo Picasso

I can believe Ancient Aliens and Most Haunted

When I watch Ancient Aliens or a Most-Haunted-type show, I say to myself before each episode "right, pretend that everything they are saying is 100% legit, everything they say is real". It makes viewing these programmes so much better, and I love them. I can suspend my logical brain and just spend half an hour listening to the stories they tell. I'm so good at this now, I can get totally sucked in, and I only come out of my deluded state when the programme ends. It's a secret pleasure, that mystifies Mr V; "oh God, you and Ancient Aliens, I don't get it". That's because he's not in the pretend-it's-real zone. Try it!

Experiencing disaster

I was swimming in the Channel the other day with Girlie, and I turned away from the shoreline and looked out across the vast expanse of calm water, sunlight dancing on the gentle waves. We can just see France from where we swim, so I had to turn out of view of the French coast because I was imagining I was lost at sea with no chance of being rescued... yes, you read that correctly. I was imagining just floating along desperately waiting for a cargo ship to see me. No, you're weird! 

When I watched the film Open Water it terrified me, and ever since I've tried to imagine what that would be like. Any chance I get I give it a go. It's great!

Also, if you have never sat by the ocean on a beautiful day and imagined a tsunami on the horizon, you're dead inside. That's all I'm saying. 

I get scared at night

I have never been good after watching horror films. I have to self-parent myself at times, and not let myself watch certain things because I know I will not sleep properly. Problem is, I love horror films. I like proper ghost stuff, not torture flicks (why do they make that shit). I like being scared, and I have the skill of suspending my logical brain to get sucked in. Afterwards my imagination always gets the better of me. 

At the moment, I've banned myself from anything horror related, because we both heard mysterious footsteps run down the hallway one night and that was it. No sleep for me. 

Earlier this year I did watch the Enfield Haunting series on Netflix. Even though it was daytime, I was on my own and convinced Bill was coming for me. I didn't go upstairs until everyone was home. I'm 47!! What the frick is going on? Imagination overload!

I talk to myself, a lot

I've always written stories and I like writing dialogue which makes me laugh. One of the ways I practice writing realistic dialogue is to chat to myself in different accents as the characters I'm writing about. I know right! Crazy! I have always done this. Always. 

This is where my imagination actually helps me, instead of scaring me silly. 

It is fun, creative and I think it must use some unused part of your brain as you have the weirdest conversations with yourself. Little monologues when you're cleaning the loo. Try it!

"Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere"

Albert Einstein

I think Einstein is right, an overactive imagination can make you talk to yourself, and believe you have a shop, are lost at sea, that aliens made the pyramids and that Satan wants to spook you in the night. It's all good... erm no... no, actually, it's YOU that is insane! (was that my imagination hearing you think I'm insane?).

Let me know your imagination adventures, or share your Pinterest-board dreams with me, I'd love to see.