imagining

Each step on the path to a higher standard of leadership takes courage -
courage to commit to absolute values and to the uuniversal code of conduct to treat others as ourselves.

Keshavan Nair (A higher standard of leadership)

Can you imagine what was needed for a ship as the one Lemuel Gulliver travelled on?
Well the biggest capital ships consumed 900 acres of oak trees, were driven by 50,000 square feet of canvas, carried 11 square sails on three masts, plus three jibs, four staysails, 10 stunsails and a spanker, not to mention 34 miles of rope, much of it six inches thick. It boggles the mind and goes to show that very few things are what they seem.

Training your imagination is important. Since all people have two sides, which Jung called animus (male) and anima (female) it may be interesting to try and discuss things with your other self. It helps you to get to know more about your 'self'. The animus is the more focussed part of the character, whereas the anima is the more diffuse part. Diffuse in the sense that more an overall picture is created without focussing on specific details. This is the creative land where ideas can be gathered, which later can be worked out specifically.
Some suggestions:
Find a peaceful place and sit down quietly. Sit still and do not try to move. Then ask yourself some questions e.g.
What do I not like about myself ?
Why do I not like it ?
Do I see this as a problem?
Do I blame others for it ?
When did it become a problem?
Where lies my responsibility ?
How did it become a problem?

You can then pretend to be a visitor of the land of the Houyhnhnms and imagine the qualities of these noble animals to be your better self. They are yours to take and exploit.

The Yahoo's qualities can be used to visualize your less than good self. It is the more spooky part of our nature. It is what Jung called the 'shadow'. It is very often that in ourselves which irritates us so much in others. Yet is is not all bad that has been hidden in the shadow. There may also be particular aspects which you do not permit any more, but may be very valuable, e.g. creativity. Once as a child I was a creative being, perhaps my environment did not appreciate this so much and labelled it negatively. Since I did not know better, I put it into closet -with the label 'not wanted'- and have forgotten all about it. Or even worse, am using much of my energy to keep the closet closed and taking it out on others.
The Yahoo in us may have interesting strengths.......

We all have both sides , though often we are not particularly charmed of certain features. Yet closing the eyes to them and pushing them aside does not make them go away. This visualization exercise may help you to use them for improving your creativeness.