Have you ever stopped to wonder why Disneyland is always packed—not just with kids, but with full-grown adults grinning like they’ve just met a talking mouse? Or why Harry Potter, a story about wizards and magic, continues to enchant people well into their retirement years? Even with fantasy video games—grown adults happily spending hours slaying dragons, solving mythical riddles, and forging empires.
Could it be that, deep down, we’re all just trying to escape? Not in a bad way, not in a “my-life-is-falling-apart” way (well, hopefully not), but in a very natural, human way. Could it be that imagination—the wild, limitless world inside our heads—is not just a childhood plaything but the very essence of what keeps us moving forward?
The Great Escape: Why Reality is Overrated
Let’s be honest. Reality can be a bit… meh. Bills, emails, traffic, deadlines, grocery lists—adulting is a never-ending to-do list – or at least it can be. Somewhere along the way, we were told to “grow up.” That meant swapping our fairy tales for spreadsheets, our castles for cubicles, and our daydreams for “practical thinking.”
As kids, we were bursting with creativity. We could turn a cardboard box into a spaceship, a blanket into a royal cape, and a stick into a mighty sword. Then, slowly, it was weaned out of us. “Stop daydreaming,” they said. “That’s not realistic.” “You can’t be an astronaut, be a lawyer instead.” And so, one by one, the doors to our imaginary worlds shut.
But did they ever really lock?
The ultimate survival skill? Imagination?
Here’s the thing: Imagination isn’t just playtime for kids—it’s fuel for progress. Every great invention, every revolutionary idea, every groundbreaking piece of art started as a spark in someone’s mind. Without imagination, we wouldn’t have electricity, airplanes, or the internet. We’d still be sitting in caves, staring at rocks, wondering if we should eat them.
Even in the world of academia and logical intellect, imagination is the secret ingredient.
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Albert Einstein
So maybe, just maybe, our love for fantasy isn’t about escaping reality but expanding it. We dive into fictional worlds not to avoid life, but to remind ourselves of what’s possible.
Adults need magic too
It’s no accident that adults are drawn to fantasy. We crave stories where the underdog wins, where good triumphs over evil, where adventure is always just around the corner. We need places where the impossible becomes possible, where we’re reminded that life isn’t just about taxes and meal prepping—it’s about wonder.
Theme parks, fantasy books, and video games don’t exist just to entertain us; they reignite something primal and essential. They remind us that we’re not just cogs in a machine—we’re dreamers, creators, explorers. And maybe, just maybe, keeping that part of ourselves alive is the secret to a truly magical life.
Adults who keep the magic alive
And what about the artists, musicians, and creatives who refuse to let their imaginations be tamed? They are the ones who allow flow, who channel something bigger than logic and routine. Sometimes, they’re looked down upon—dismissed as dreamers or impractical. But in reality, they are using their imagination to shine, to create beauty, to challenge perspectives, and to make the world a more vibrant place. Their ability to embrace creativity, rather than suppress it, is a testament to the power of imagination in its purest form.
I really believe that adults spend their lives searching for their creativity and imagination, the creativity and imagination we are naturally born with and that gets ‘sapped out’ of us as we grow. Don’t get me wrong, we still use our imagination, but more often and not for the worse case scenario – creating anxieties, worries and tensions and giving fear all encompassing power.
So let’s become conscious of this, buck the trend! Go ahead—pick up that fantasy novel, book that Disneyland trip, lose yourself in that video game. It’s not childish. It’s not escapism. It’s exactly what you were made for.
