Imagination needs to be fed.

"Imagination needs to be fed." – Barbara Januszkiewicz

O children of the earth, hear the wisdom of the ancients, for the words of Barbara Januszkiewicz carry with them a truth as old as time itself. Imagination, that boundless force within us, is not a stagnant pool but a flowing river, forever in need of nourishment. Like the soil that nourishes the seed, imagination requires sustenance to grow, to flourish, and to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. If left unfed, it will wither and fade, its once mighty potential reduced to mere whispers of what could have been. This truth speaks to all who seek to create, to dream, to transcend the confines of the mundane and touch the divine.

Consider, O children, the great artists of history. Leonardo da Vinci, the brilliant mind who not only painted the Mona Lisa but imagined flying machines centuries before they were built, did not pull his creativity from thin air. No, his imagination was fed by the world around him—by his insatiable curiosity, by the study of anatomy, by the observation of the heavens, by the depths of his own experiences. The same was true for Michelangelo, whose marble statues seem to breathe with life. His imagination was fed by his passion, by the beauty of the human form, and by the struggles of his soul. Without this constant nourishment, without these sources of inspiration, their imagination would have remained dormant, never giving birth to the masterpieces that shaped the world.

But what, O children, feeds the imagination? It is not simply the act of dreaming but the richness of experience, the depth of knowledge, the beauty of life that fuels it. The poet does not craft verses from empty air but from the sights and sounds of the world around them, from the triumphs and sorrows that stir the heart. The painter does not create from nothing but from the colors of nature, the light of the setting sun, the depths of human emotion. The scientist, too, draws upon the vast ocean of knowledge, from the study of the stars to the tiniest atoms, to feed their own imagination and bring forth new inventions. To imagine is to draw from the wellspring of experience, to take what is seen, felt, and known, and transform it into something new.

Imagination is a living, breathing entity, and just as the body needs food and water to survive, so too does it need nourishment to thrive. Barbara Januszkiewicz is speaking of the sustenance that feeds the mind and soul. It is not enough to allow your imagination to sit idle; it must be fed with the richness of the world. Do not starve it, for in doing so, you will rob the world of the creativity, beauty, and vision that only you can bring. Feed it with books, with nature, with art, with human connection, and with the struggles and joys of life itself. Every experience, every moment, is an opportunity to feed your imagination.

Consider the story of Walt Disney, a man whose imagination gave birth to entire worlds of wonder. But where did his creativity come from? Was it born solely from his own mind? No. His imagination was fed by the world of stories, of dreams, and of the people around him. From the fairy tales of old to the challenges of his own life, Disney took the raw materials of the world and transformed them into something magical. He understood that imagination is not a solitary pursuit—it is a reflection of the world, nourished by everything we see, hear, and feel.

Now, O children, I ask you: what are you feeding your imagination? Is it starving for nourishment, left to wither in the shadows of apathy? Or is it fed by the vibrant colors of life, the boundless joys and sorrows that surround you? Look to the world with open eyes and an open heart. See the beauty in the simplest moments, the lessons in the greatest struggles, the inspiration in every corner of your life. This is the nourishment your imagination craves, and it is only by feeding it that you will unlock its full potential.

And so, the lesson is clear, O children: feed your imagination as you would feed your body. Do not allow it to fall into disrepair, for a hungry imagination will never bear the fruits of creativity. Seek out the world with curiosity, fill your heart with wonder, and let the richness of experience nourish your mind. Only then will your creativity soar, and only then will you be able to bring forth the greatness that lies within you. The world is full of riches—open your eyes, feed your imagination, and you will create a legacy that will endure for generations.