Our galactic experiences depend on our age.  Televisionally speaking, if you are old, you think of the galaxy in terms of Captain Kirk.  If you are younger, perhaps Jean-Luc Picard.  Both men were tasked with boldly going where no man had gone before.   Or maybe you think about Luke Skywalker, who, with like a dozen movies, there’s no expiration date in sight.  Plus, there are the spinoffs – seasons about before Luke, after Luke, and even shows about the characters he encountered, like Yoda and Boba Fett.  I remember that my brother liked Battle Star Galactica and Buck Rogers – relics of the 70’s.    

The terms by which we imagined the final frontier have evolved over the years.  And my goodness, the movies have gotten ridiculously better.  The graphics are out of this world – no pun intended.  With 4K technology in our living rooms, we don’t even have to go to the movies to be immersed in a great film.  These days, if we turn off all the lights and move the sofa close to the flat screen, we can go to the movies without getting into or out of the car.  With Netflix, the tickets are way cheaper – there is all-you-can-eat, much fresher popcorn, and, even more importantly, the pause button if needed. 

By sheer accident, I watched Passengers, an intergalactic thriller, love story, sci-fi, and comedy on Amazon Prime the other night. This is because, at the end of one movie on Amazon, another one begins.  At first, I wasn’t paying attention because I was working on my laptop, but it caught my eye.  Shortly after that, Jennifer Lawrence was on the screen, and it dawned on me that this was a major motion picture.  So, I decided to check the rest of it out. 

I see remakes as a lack of ingenuity and a cash grab.  It is hard to get lost in a film that you already know the ending to.  This one is one of a kind – not a remake that will leave you wondering how it will end.  Movies are all about the endings, aren’t they?  I rank them as happy first, open-ended second, and sad last.  I won’t blow it for you by telling you how Passengers ends – just that it is an amazingly imaginative story featuring potentially the most beautiful actress on planet Earth.  Totally worth watching.  

The imaginations of the writers of stories like this are astounding.  Any imagination is something.  I mean, being able to create a story, a fantasy world, or an idea from little to nothing is incredible – and it leaves me wondering where a great imagination comes from.  My all-time favorite is the character Edward Bloom in the movie Big Fish.  That’s one of my top three favorites, all time.  It is all about imagination. 

Imagination is often connected to experiences. For many of us, it is merely an outlet for expressing hopes and dreams—and maybe even a way to express complex emotions. For others, it provides an escape from painful experiences and has even helped some of the most famous authors (like Victor Frankl) survive insurmountable, unspeakable times.  That’s why when I read something unique – like Surrender by Bono or anything by Malcolm Gladwell, I wonder not just about what they wrote but about them as people, too.

I read that people who have gone through difficult times or traumatic experiences can have enhanced creativity.  Wouldn’t that be great – if, rather than PTSD, anxiety, or depression, the byproduct of really challenging times is self-expression that others benefit from or are entertained by?  Well, it is 100% true.  It happens.  That is why there are art, music, and dance therapists.   Know that being creative in any way, shape, or form can make you happier. 

For those working with children, know that creativity finds its roots in many places – and it doesn’t just come from DNA.  We must remember that imagination is enhanced in stimulating environments and can be fostered through independent and unstructured group play.  Unfortunately, the stimulation our kids are getting is increasingly limited to what is on a five-inch screen, and unstructured group play seems to have disappeared, particularly in densely populated urban areas where kids don’t get the chance to have so many “play dates.”   

I think that a well-rounded education is one in which our children are presented with problems and materials and asked to find their own outcomes. Kids love this stuff, too. For example, when given toothpicks and glue and presented with the parameters for making a bridge, they will go up against others to see which is the sturdiest and get really engaged.  The collaborative setup of this exercise provides learners with opportunities to build many skills – even beyond being creative. 

Paper airplanes, origami, finger painting, writing, dancing, acting, or singing.  Finding as many uses as possible for a coat hanger, drawing, cooking, carving, sculpting, or storytelling.  Making games out of recyclables, playing an instrument with no sheet music, mosaics, snow forts, and even play dough.  Get the phones out of their hands and these opportunities and things into them.  Try it yourself, too.  Imagination and creativity are amazing…even in our 50s and beyond!