Imagination and creativity

The role of imagination in creativity is unique. It can be defined as the process of transforming ideas about reality and creating new images on this basis. That is, imagination is included every time we think of an object without having direct contact with it. Creative imagination allows this view to be transformed.

Creativity is a process, as a result of which fundamentally new or significantly improved ways of solving certain problems appear. Obviously, creative thinking and imagination are interconnected.

We can distinguish such features of creative imagination:

• with its help completely new images are created, not on the basis of their description, but on the basis of the subject's own thoughts;
• can be either arbitrary or involuntary;
• The ability to creative imagination is partly determined from birth, but it can be developed;
• The relationship between imagination and creativity can be seen in their similar stages and techniques.

Stages of creative imagination:

1. The emergence of creative ideas. In the mind there is a vague image, the first ideas. This does not always happen consciously.
2. Bearing of the plan. Reflections on how to realize the idea, a mental improvement, etc.
3. Realization of the idea.

Methods of creative imagination can be distinguished by studying the results of creative processes. For example, in order to come up with most fabulous objects and creatures, the following techniques were used:

1. Agglutination is the creation of an image from two different ideas (mermaid, centaur).
2. An analogy is the creation of an image by analogy with another.
3. Exaggeration or understatement (Gulliver and Lilliputians).
4. Typing - the assignment of an object to a specific type.
5. Giving - the object is assigned new functions and properties (carpet-plane).
6. Moving - subjective transfer of the object into new, unusual situations.

Methods of developing creative imagination

The development of creative imagination comes from the involuntary to the arbitrary, and from the recreating to the creative. Like other mental processes, it goes through certain stages of development. The first encompasses childhood and adolescence, characterized by magical, fantastic ideas about the world and the lack of a rational component. At the second stage, complex changes occur, due to changes in the body and self-awareness, the perception processes become more objective. The rational component appears in the third stage of the development of the imagination, it begins to subordinate to reason, and it is precisely because of this practicality that often comes to decline in adults.

The connection of the imagination with creativity is expressed in the fact that they rely on representations. To develop imagination it is possible by means of such receptions:

1. Expand the arsenal of representations - read more and watch scientific films, learn as much as possible new. Remember and analyze, so you will have much more material for creative processes.
2. Imagine imaginary objects, try to interact with them. Close your eyes and try to imagine, for example, an apple. What is its shape, size and color, try to imagine its surface to touch and smell the fragrance. Now take it in your hand, feel the weight, throw and catch.
3. Work on the arbitrariness of the imagination process, train it regularly.
4. Find sources of inspiration or ask for help from others, perhaps they will give you new ideas.
5. Try group forms of work, they are very effective when you need to get a unique result.