Saturday, January 13, 2007

Sunday Scribblings-I Have An Idea!

"I have a great idea!"

This was my six year old son's favorite expression, and it occasionally struck fear in my heart. Brian was (and still is) an extremely imaginative, creative person, and his ideas as a child often centered around complicated scenarios of movie making, audio recording, story writing, play acting - all things that involved me as one of the pricipal actors, announcers, writers, and dramatists. Growing up as an only child (in a neighborhood where the next youngest person was 25 years old!) meant that I was usually his number one choice of playmate. Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't trade those times for a zillion dollars. However, I admit to occasionally getting weary of making up new stories about Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny.

But, those ideas were so exciting to him -he'd come bounding out of his room, bursting with enthusiasm, talking a mile a minute about this great adventure "the bears" would have, or this drawing he wanted to make, so he absolutely had to have a new posterboard right this minute, or a scene in a movie that required smoke effects, so could he borrow the vaporizer...

Ideas should be exciting like that! As adults, we rarely have the opportunity to get excited about ideas, and if we do, we sometimes feel uncomfortable sharing it. That's one of the things I love about this whole blogging community. It's all about sharing excitement, wonder, and enthusiasm. Just last week, I wrote a post entitled "I'm Excited." During the time I was in Florida, I was able to give my mind and body a chance to relax, so I got a lot of "great ideas" about creative things I wanted to do. Right away, I wanted to share them with all my blog buddies, because I knew you would all encourage me to complete them.
Sometimes our own ideas make us fearful. Once we get past the first flush of enthusiasm, we begin to think in our practical, adult manner about the time, or the cost, or the effort involved in carrying out this project. Not to mention those niggling doubts about our ability to do it well enough. How many times have you rejected an idea for a creative project or activity because your inner critic whispers "you'll never be any good at that!" If only we could retain the innocent enthusiasm of children, for whom everything is possible.

With the hectic pace of daily life and the demands on our time, we become so entrenched in our routine that we rarely have the time for new ideas to develop. I'm hoping this year to allow myself time to cultivate new ideas, and then act on them. If I get discouraged, I can always remember the bright eyed sparkle in my son's blue eyes as he came running up to me calling out "I've got a great idea!"

here are more great ideas

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20 Comments:

Blogger Laini Taylor said...

I just love that image of your son so excited by his imagination! I hope that when I have kids they have that same boundless enthusiasm. I'm sure I will be happy to run out for posterboard on the spur of the moment!

1/13/2007  
Blogger Regina said...

That was simply wonderful, Becca. I really hope that you are able to manifest your ideas into truly wonderful opportunities for growth!

1/13/2007  
Blogger papyrus said...

Precious memories and wonderful challenges.

1/13/2007  
Blogger bonggamom said...

Oh, what lovely memories of your little boy... I hope to be able to make memories like that with my own boys (both 3 last week!).

1/13/2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

LOL!! I've got a four year old who, at least 10 times a day, has a great idea usually involving me.

I could relate to your post completely!

1/14/2007  
Blogger susanlavonne said...

I've got an idea! Between now and April, keep a list of things you've never done and would like to do (both simple and daring)...things that you'd find adventuresome, exciting or wondrous....and bring it!

P.S..No wonder your son turned out to be so talented...nature AND nurture.

1/14/2007  
Blogger paris parfait said...

Such a lovely story about your son's great ideas and imagination. Recently my daughter looked at a watercolour she painted when she was five (which won two awards) and said she wished she could still paint with that kind of "childhood innocence" when you didn't worry about the outcome. Excellent post, Becca! Nothing's better than the enthusiasm of a child and it's wonderful when we find some of that as adults.

1/14/2007  
Blogger Cate said...

This post means so much to me. Thank you for sharing your memories of your son, as an inspirational force. I can't wait to read about the ideas that introduce themselves to you this year--and thanks to this post, I will be open to fresh, new ideas myself! xo

1/14/2007  
Blogger Jerri said...

How wonderful for your son that you took up the call for his "great" ideas.

Loved this post. Can't wait to see what develops this year, Becca. Let's all try to open ourselves to childish enthusiasm.

1/14/2007  
Blogger Crafty Green Poet said...

Excellent post. It's great to keep some childlike enthusiasm as adults!

1/14/2007  
Blogger Julie said...

I agree wholeheartedly. I think I stopped having "ideas" when those around me (and then even my own inner critic) started implying they were too juvenile. But we all need to get back to basics and allow ourselves to dream and imagine and get the kind of ideas that Brian had in abundance.

Let's keep the enthusiasm going!

1/14/2007  
Blogger Tammy Brierly said...

Blogging does inspire ideas and even acting on them. To have the enthusiasum of a child would be a gift indeed. Wonderful story!

1/14/2007  
Blogger Liza on Maui said...

Precious memories. I can relate so much to this post. Thank you for eloquently putting into words what a mom feels and thinks as their child says "I have an idea", as well as about US being excited about "ideas"...

1/14/2007  
Blogger Unknown said...

It seems that somehow life squelches the creativity that is native to kids.
I hope your son manages to grow into a creative adult.
It strikes me that many of us blog to have a creative outlet.
Nice variant on the Idea prompt.

1/14/2007  
Blogger kj said...

i guess i'm lucky because in my head i'm barely an adult. i'd like to get younger and younger each day.

thanks for the inspiration.

:)

1/14/2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those are wonderful memories you have to cherish. I'm in a similar situation with my girl. She's either singing her heart out or proclaiming "mom, I have a great idea!"
It is a magical time and I hope some of her magic rubs off on me with the big idea I have swirling around my head.
I hope your ideas come to fruition, sweet Becca.

1/14/2007  
Blogger JHS said...

Makes me miss those days. Now the only great idea my boys seem to have is that I feed them (again) before they return to their bedroom and shut the door! Teenagers. This too shall pass, right!?

1/14/2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your son has positively inspired me! Thanks for sharing that. And my secret is that I STILL get that excited over a new idea, but I've learned to keep it on the down low, to make sure that other people don't kill my buzz!

And what a lucky son he was to have you for a mother!

1/15/2007  
Blogger Deirdre said...

I hoping this year is more creative too. This community has so much creativity and encouragement to offer and I want to absorb it all.

Is your son still so full of ideas and excitement? I hope he's held on to some of it.

1/15/2007  
Blogger Susannah Conway said...

Becca, this post really speaks to me. i seem to be all about the ideas at the moment, but not the action, but you remind me that ideas are a good thing! Sx

1/16/2007  

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