3 Myths About Daydreaming
By Erin E. M. Hatton

I’ve always been a daydreamer. More often than not, as a child, it got me into trouble. But the more I’ve thought about my wool-gathering habit as an adult, the more I realize that my greatest strengths rely on this sometimes misunderstood state of mind. Here are some ways I think we’ve got daydreaming wrong.

Myth #1: Daydreaming is a time-waster.

Not so for the creative person. Unless I take time to let my mind wander, my creative juices just won’t flow. It’s more like the 12-inch ice buildup we sometimes get in our eavestroughs in winter in this part of Canada. So if I don’t daydream, I’m actually making myself less productive, not more.

Myth #2: Daydreaming is childish.

Just because I’ve always daydreamed since I was a child doesn’t mean it’s something I should stop doing as an adult. When I daydream, I stimulate the creative centre of my brain. I pick up little bits of data that have been lying around without a home, dust off the places I’ve been neglecting, and make new connections that weren’t there before. That doesn’t sound childish, does it?

Myth #3: Daydreaming doesn’t accomplish anything.

Actually, without daydreaming, I wouldn’t have accomplished anything at all. Every one of my books and stories has been the direct result of daydreaming (and some night-dreaming). Not to mention all my blog posts, paintings and murals, and many of my life plans and goals. That’s a pretty good reason to daydream, right there.

So I encourage you, today, to take some time to daydream, to get away from people and computers and pressure and just let your mind wander. Try some free writing in a journal or doodle a bit. You might be surprised where it takes you. :)

About this Contributor:

Erin E.M. Hatton is the author of Otherworld and Across the Deep, winner of the 2014 Free Publishing Contest for Fiction. She has also authored several short stories and novellas. She graduated from Redeemer University College and lives in Barrie, Ontario with her husband Kevin and four children.
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