Several recent discussions on works of art here describe the investigation of imagination and its connection to reality. For example, Jessica’s post on Inception and Roy’s on Etgar Keret’s new book, post.  I think this investigation comes from a strong feeling of a disappearance of imagination from our culture. The world of Twitter, of Facebook and Zynga where people live is an imaginationless world. It’s a world of raw commerce and exchange of snippets. As in the beautiful Toy Story 3, toys and the realm of imagination which accompanies them has been replaced by the cell phone. Imagination has always been more developed with children, and people stop playing with toys at a certain age, but that age seems to be getting lower and lower these days. Four year olds are starting to play Farmville (a game where you water and raise virtual crops, I kid you not) and other Zynga games and join the world of stupidity and lack of imagination.

The rise of the virtual in lieu of imagination is increasing, and while movies of the last decade were interested in the boundary of fiction and reality, there is a different sense now of a movement to a darker place of a complete lack of imagination.

As has been mentioned here by Jessica and others, imagination and fiction is our way to reality. How can we really see reality without seeing all the other options, as lack is an important factor in seeing what is there? Can we even exist as humans without imagination and understanding the alternative? Or are we moving to be robots retweetting and (Facebook) “Liking” things, without a critical eye, without thoughts of alternatives. Without reading them in the deep sense of the word.

Schumann said about Schubert that the genius in his works lay in all the roads he shows us but chose not to take; in all the undeveloped possibilities. Can we hear those anymore or are we turning deaf to them only to hear the notes actually played?

Art in general, Fiction, was considered to be the road to a truer truth that can only be seen through art. Paintings considered showing the essence more correctly than a photograph. Currently, it seems, artists are reflecting on their craft of imagination. Are we?
A couple of years ago a friend of mine asked a kindergarten teacher what change she sees through the years. The teacher answered that the only change she sees is the growing lack of imagination of her kids.

How do we guard our own imagination against a world which seems to want to discard it?
How do we convince the world that there is a point in imagination – it’s hard to explain imagination to a robot, so we can’t wait too long. How do we transfer a wanting to develop one’s own imagination?
 
Imagine a life without imagination.