“No one can do without wonder, and it should not be so rare, for it enhances all the rest of your mind. Better still, it offers access to exceptional achievement and escape from the impossible. Wondering allows and brings to you the universe of what has never been known or thought: what can only be imagined. Though many do not make the most of it, this gift belongs to everyone, to keep ahead of robots, ballooning knowledge and accelerating change. New approaches can be reached that would otherwise be out of bounds. Not only does wonder fuel vision and aspiration, it is the secret of learning things new, and makes whole all your other thinking processes. No one can do without imagination.”  [J.D. Rhodes, I Wonder: The Science of Imagination].

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Knowledge is no longer stable. As the world moves forward with technological experimentation and increasing developmental demands, we must all spend increasing portions of our time and effort in learning how to use the latest advancements; from ever-changing gadgets and processes to how we interact with each other digitally. If we falter in any of the challenges we face, we risk being left behind. At the heart of all creativity and innovation lies imagination.

In I Wonder: The Science of Imagination author J.D. (Jerry) Rhodes seeks to inspire a new understanding of what is involved in growing this ephemeral skill of ours, one which is often undervalued but which has become essential to success in all areas of modern life.

Drawing from his decades of research and his role as an educator to business leaders in the process of creativity, Rhodes shows us how imagination offers a way of winning by taking out-of-the-ordinary approaches to tasks and situations that would either be exceptionally difficult or aspirational. Rhodes asks us to imagine what it would be like without imagination; how this would limit and undermine everything in life. I Wonder: The Science of Imagination then moves through the benefits of creative thinking and actions readers can take to reduce the inner barrier to thought and produce better ideas.

In I Wonder: The Science of Imagination, Rhodes encourages readers to be more daring and aspire to making and exploiting the outrageous connections that bring brilliant flights of fancy. Original and insightful, it is both an excellent insight into the field of teaching creativity, and the perfect tool for those looking to develop themselves and take the next step in their careers, or their passions, or for those who simply want to increase their ability to think outside-of-the-box.

Discussing how to start enhancing the power of imagination, Rhodes shared his top tips with MARGINALIA:

JD2“Invention is easy: just take something relevant that already exists and try out a wide variety of changes to all aspects of it.

“Great new ideas come when you make connections between things that are totally outrageous. Think whatever takes you by surprise.

“The power of the small word IF is limitless:  you are exploring what might be true, free from any claim to be right, and so you cannot be wrong or blamed.  Further still,  ‘If only’ expresses your vision of what would be wonderful.

“Put yourself inside the mind of someone you believe has huge imagination and jot down whatever he or she comes up with.  Pursue your curiosity and never give up.

“So the art of mental imagery, drawing thoughts out of pictures, plays many roles in choosing what is best to do: not just decoration to top off the cake.”