Thank you Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for highlighting the awesome power of daydreaming. More on this later.
Why wandering minds are often the most creative.
Daydreaming has always been my favorite activity, the secret to my happiness and fulfillment
Have you ever been told, like I have, that it’s bad, it’s no good, to daydream, because it means doing nothing—contributing to nothing! Being asked again and again, what’s the benefit of staring out the window—instead of doing something beneficial, something good! To admit we- the daydreamers- feel like we need an apology for doing what we love and what we know is doing us good!
Time to let go of all this. Come with me and embrace daydreaming and watch your life change and flourish.
As long as I can remember, I have always been a daydreamer. As I grew older my daydreams got deeper and more purposeful. I find solace and comfort in those moments of imagination, dreams and thoughts, feeling a deep sense of curiosity for life.
When I am daydreaming, even now in my 70s, I feel a deep sense of reverence for life and what it means, being truly in awe of life, connecting myself with beauty and hope, and appreciating the good things in life: nature, family, friendship and more.
Today, like when I was a child, I sit and gaze out the window, daydream, thinking about the endless possibilities I discover for myself, others, my children, grandchildren, the world around me.
However, as I noted in an article ‘An ode to daydreaming’ (see below) Which I wrote a few years back, at times, I have been made to feel bad for my love of daydreaming, accused of being absent-minded, a lost soul, idle, lazy, hopeless and suchlike.
Now that I am older, I know my daydreams have given me a good and meaningful life, and I deeply believe that my childhood and now adulthood favorite activity of daydreaming deserves a bit more love, respect and understanding. Daydreaming, I believe, is healthy for all of us, and more of us should try to bring some of its magic into our lives.
This is why I am so happy that the UK’s Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, has so powerfully endorsed the positive powers of daydreaming.
An Ode to Daydreams
A painting by André Romijn-'At first glance, André Romijn’s ‘An Ode to Daydreams’ commands attention and elicits a sense of serene introspection. The classic elegance of the central figure, beautifully positioned on a sumptuous red leather sofa, evokes not just admiration for her beauty, but curiosity about her thoughts.'-romijnart.com
At the time when our society looks down on daydreaming, it is so reassuring to see the Poet Laureate sings the praises of daydreaming.
He has robustly criticized society’s "addiction to interruption," arguing that daydreaming should be a GCSE subject. Speaking on The Independent's program The Talk Show, Armitage highlighted how the modern obsession with hyper-optimization, digital distractions, and constant fragmented attention stifles deep artistic thought. His defense of unstructured focus underscores daydreaming not as a waste of time, but as the essential foundation where true human creativity begins.
Thank you Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for highlighting the awesome power of daydreaming
UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage sparked a major public conversation by declaring that daydreaming should be taught as a formal GCSE subject to counter society's modern "addiction to interruption".
‘Armitage does not claim that every poem arrives through some mysterious act of inspiration. Often, the beginning is simply the freedom to let the mind wander.
“I just don’t think we get enough time to daydream these days.”
He worries about our addiction to interruption, the reflex to reach for a phone whenever there is a spare moment.
“I think daydreaming should be a GCSE subject.”
Yes, daydreaming, leading to inspiration, flourishing of thoughts and words, and then, the sky is the limit, and a life transformed by sweet dreams.
Read the article: HERE
All said and done, Armitage's perspective reframes daydreaming not as a waste of time, but as an essential, structured practice for the creative mind.
That is why, to my mind, it is so important that children in school be encouraged to look out of windows, gazing and dreaming, unlike my childhood experiences, more on this below.
N.B. The above very much resonated with me. This is why years ago I posted an article: ‘An ode to daydreaming’
Photo credit: The Emotion Machine
This is the era of busyness,the age of madness, the times of rat race and burnout, in which no one admits to having a spare moment and everyone brags about how busy they are. This has resulted in an era of catastrophe, pain, hurt, depression and anxiety,the era of envy, jealousy,and permanent dissatisfaction with who we are.To reverse this age of self-destruction we need to rediscover our God-given gift: The Art of Daydreaming. The Beauty of Doing Nothing. Carpe diem!
Let your imagination run wild, nourishing and healing your soul, boosting your creativity
Daydreaming and the path to happiness and wellbeing
'Unlike any other form of thought, daydreaming is its own reward' – Michael Pollan
I remember so vividly, the parents evening at my school all those decades ago in Tehran:
“Kamran is a pleasant child, he has good manners, but he tends to daydream a lot ” my teachers used to tell my parents.
Far from being ashamed of my daydreaming, I am grateful for it. They made me who, what, and why I am today.
Me, myself and I and my daydreams