The Power of Daydreaming

Why it's essential to your creating - and not a waste of time.

Daydreaming in a local cafe.

It’s a tricky thing living in an age when answers are right at your fingertips. Ready to be delivered in a matter of seconds.

On one hand, I’m grateful for the swift response to my questions. I make use of AI in my research, my brainstorming, and playing with phrases that go into emails.

On the other hand, instantly getting answers from outside - whether through a computer or a person - is the kind of habit that secretly erodes my faith in myself. I reach for someone else’s opinion before my own. And I forget that I have the answers I’m looking for.

Trusting in your own wisdom is a powerful habit to create.

It’s easy to develop a habit of trusting outside answers. Especially when the world conspires to undermine your faith in your wisdom.

I grew up as the sixth (and youngest) child in a big family. By the time I came along, there were seven other people asserting their opinions and vying for attention. Throw into that mix a culture that prioritized men’s authority over women’s, and you have a recipe for a wee girl who asked others for their opinion before wondering what she thought.

Luckily, life instilled a whole lot of fire in my spirit and circumstances that made me determined to carve my own path. 🔥

If there’s one habit I would gift to every woman, it would be to ask yourself what you think or would do before looking to anyone else. Even AI.

Making room for your desires is one of the gifts of daydreaming.

Quiet space for ideas and desires is a precious commodity. The world seems to be getting noisier and more tense every day. I’ve begun to see quiet time as an act of rebellion. Especially when folks are quick to judge or assert their opinion.

You deserve the time to ask yourself:
What you think. What you love. What you need. What you want.
What you care about. What you don’t care about.
What you wish for yourself. What you wish for your community.

Just to name a few.

And if those questions provoke tension or anxiety, that’s a sign that you have brilliance bubbling to come out. I tend to reach for my journal. But you might reach for a microphone, a short story, a canvas, a camera, or a long run in the woods.

Time in nature invites daydreaming.

Daydreaming is making time to embrace your brilliance and ideas.

The act of daydreaming gets a bad rap. Seen as wasting time or drifting up in the clouds, when you could be getting things done. Churning out whatever it is you’re meant to be churning. Emails, word counts, meetings, products, videos.

We live in a culture that still values quantity over quality, busy-ness over thoughtfulness. There are many days that I feel like the odd one out for loving quality and intention. This is why I surround myself with people who seek these values, too.

I’m delighted to say that I’ve found many of them on Substack.

The real truth about daydreaming is that - up in the clouds - is exactly where you find inspiration. Where you discover the connection between your latest musings. Where the direct (and fast) association between ideas happens - revealing the pattern behind it all.

Our ancestors associated air and high altitudes with ideas. If you’re familiar with astrology and the elements, air symbolizes ideas, inspiration, imagination, visions, communication, words, and chatting. It’s the amazing gifts that come with allowing your mind to soar or be in quick dialogue.

If your mind is anything like mine, all it needs is a little relaxation (preferably outside) and some physical movement - and whoosh - the answers fly in.

A break from the noise makes room for your brilliance to show up.

Several scientists postulate that daydreaming benefits creativity, problem-solving, and even relationship satisfaction. Some folks use it to rehearse how they plan to act. Or to imagine their ideal outcome to a scenario.

My preference is to use daydreaming as an opportunity to let go.

I have a habit of doing a lot. I love it! The tricky part is, however, when I get stressed, I tend to pile more tasks on my plate. Most likely in an attempt to avoid feeling my anxiety or the world’s anxiety.

Which, let’s face it, is off the charts these days.

So when I choose to daydream, it’s a deliberate habit. It’s my way of choosing wellbeing. I remember that when I take time to dream, the best ideas flow in. A smile returns to my face. I remember that a huge part of why I create is the feeling — the delight. And when I am contracted or anxious, I’m disconnected from joy.

Daydreaming is connecting to your higher self, the one that knows best.

If my head is down and I’m ploughing through tasks, I contract. I’m creating from a smaller pool of ideas. And my creative flow is limited.

This is why I am a big advocate for taking breaks, moving your body, walking away from your desk to get perspective. Daydreaming is the elevated version of that habit.

When you consciously make room for your mind and spirit to wander, the best ideas come in. The craziest ideas come in! I would wager (and maybe one of you knows) that Einstein spent more time daydreaming than anything else.

I know that the best artists and poets do. It’s one of the reasons they adore nature.

So the next time you’re wondering why you feel tense and uninspired?
Maybe you need a good old fashioned daydream session.

Here are a few ways to start:

• Find a patch of grass and lie on your back staring at the sky.

• Go for a walk that doesn’t really have a destination.

• Sit in a chair pretending to meditate, but secretly you’re daydreaming. ;)

• Bake something you’ve made a thousand times so your mind can wander.

• Let someone else drive so you can stare out the window and dream.

I’d love to hear your favourite ways to dream in the daytime. It’s a habit I hope we all do more often. Our imaginations deserve ample space to play. ✨

The more you do it, the more you’ll discover how brilliant you are.

xo Kate

P.S. Mini-courses coming soon to Joyful Creating. If you have a struggle related to being in the flow or busting through overwhelm, send me a reply or add a comment. I’d love to offer what you need most.

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