The Four Acts of Imagination: A Complete Guide

Imagination is a practice. These are the four ways to practice it.

We talk about imagination like it's a trait. Some children have it, some don't. Some are "creative types," others aren't.

I drove eight hours alone with two kids under five and two dogs. Here's what broke.

I want to tell you a story about the day I became a hypocrite.

Atlanta to St. Louis. Just me, both kids, both dogs, and an SUV packed with everything we needed and several things we didn't. My first time making this drive alone with both of them. I'd planned ahead, broken it into two days, mapped out the stops. I thought I was ready.

The moment your child says "I'm bored," something important is about to happen.

Most of us reach for a solution. A screen. A snack. A suggestion. We treat boredom like a problem to fix, a gap to fill, a failure on our part to keep them entertained.

But here's what the research tells us: boredom is a doorway.

Your child's brain has a screensaver. And it's doing something important.

You know that moment when your computer goes idle? The screen dims, a gentle animation floats across, and the machine seems to rest. But it's not actually off. It's running maintenance in the background. Processing. Sorting. Preparing.