Once upon a time there was a small girl.
She had long, wavy, perfect golden hair that reached down her legs, wide hazel eyes and a bright face.
She was on the quieter side, but did not shy away from talking. She was smarter than her years and had a sarcastic sense of humour. And she loved to read. She would read for hours at a time, sit with a stack of books and not leave her chair for a whole afternoon. There was nothing more exciting than exploring so many different worlds. She would read every day, everywhere, every single book in the bookshelves in her house and then from the library. She never stopped reading, and when she wasn't reading she was daydreaming. Or drawing. Or writing her own stories.
This girl had a powerful imagination. She didn't mind sitting in a room with nothing to do. She would imagine stories about the people passing by and the pictures on the walls and what she would do if she could fly. Her least favourite time was lying in bed, not asleep, but thinking of all the horrible ways she could be killed by the horrible things surely lurking in her room. She had trouble falling asleep for years, but it was balanced out by the wonderful things she could daydream of at other times.
This girl was me, if you hadn't already guessed. Or you could say I was that girl. And some days it almost feels like I'd like to be her again. I miss my imagination. I like to think that it's still with me, just off in a dusty corner of my mind, unused and bored maybe, a little rusty and depressed from lack of use. But just waiting for the day when I decide to use it again, to let it roam free over the uneven landscape of my brain, to spin stories and thoughts and ideas and songs in the most beautiful of ways.
This blog is going to be about bringing my imagination back. But not just that. I also feel a need to tell my story, the story of my life and how I came to where I am now. Lately I've been feeling like I'm living a teenage novel, you know the ones about high school drama and situations where you think: "How on earth did I get myself into this?"
The first thing I'm going to do to start myself on this journey is this simple rule: only one hour of internet time a day. No more, less if I want. I think it will help me to find new things to do with my time, more creative things perhaps.
So if you're at all curious, and want to hear a story of how an imaginative little girl grew up … well, follow along. It's not perhaps the most exciting tale, but maybe it deserves a chance to really be heard.
<3 Angel
