You never get too old for daydreams. Since I was a little girl, I’ve spent a lot of time in my head, but the dreams I made then have realised today – and I couldn’t be more grateful.

However, even though I have my dream life right now I haven’t stopped daydreaming. And the dreams haven’t gotten more realistic with age, either.

I was an active imaginative child (like most of us were, I’m assuming, especially in the times before screens were so accessible so there was no other choice – even playing with toys and friends required levels of imagination!) Now as an adult, my imagination hasn’t gone away.

That’s the thing with being an adult; the urge to play and imagine is still there, we just don’t have time, energy or permission to use it any more.

Dreaming can be useful. Like I said I’m now living the life I dreamed of. My daily routine, despite the grumbling and whinging I still do, is what I was so desperate for in my early twenties – and that is so magical.

Some people call it luck, others call it manifesting; either way there are ways you can make your dreams come true (as cheesy as that sounds).

So where does fantasy come in today? If I already have my dream life, what could I possibly be daydreaming about these days?

Fantasy is where we play, I think. No matter your culture, condition, or beliefs thinking is still free. Although many other areas of our life are becoming too Orwellian to believe, even the government of Oceania couldn’t control people’s thoughts.

(How cliché, a pseudo-intellectual referencing 1984!)

Fantasy is often a way to escape, to break free of whatever the physical is presenting. You can imagine a more fun or safer or even worse world, depending on your preferences, for free in your head to escape the reality, just for a second.

No matter how ‘perfect’ your life may be, or seem, there is always room for escapism. This is why fantasy remains so important to my life.

Even if you are not actively trying to get away from your physical world, the fact that you can create magical spaces, daydream the most impossible things, and entertain yourself freely with fantasy is incredibly useful, and a great way to spend your time.

Some of my daydreams have remained with me since childhood; the classic TV interview, playing a role in my favourite movie, seeing my name on a published book or poster. Some are more serious and linked to my age and this stage of life I’m in. No matter what the subject is, we need to allow more room for fantasy in our lives. I’m saying this to myself too, as I’d rather opt for distraction than thinking for myself. But fantasy can be a distraction, if you give yourself room for it.

The main thing is, fantasy can be ridiculous, but it’s allowed to be. You can literally think whatever you want. Who’s to say it won’t come true? Fake it ’til you make it, and all that.

When you have to control so much of your physical world and play such an active role in your daily life, the ability to escape to wherever you want, whenever you want is so important. With your mind, you can create whatever you want and spend as long as you’d like there – your thoughts can run in the background of other tasks, such as housework, walking, sometimes even working (whoops, sorry to my employers!)

Whether you believe it or not, your thoughts do control your reality in a sense. They certainly impact your mood and therefore how you tackle the day or even the next hour. If fantasy can help pull you out of whatever is happening to you right now and potentially boost your mood, then how can you deny that thoughts and reality are linked?

I’m not saying that simply thinking about winning the lottery or being interviewed on Graham Norton (my personal favourite) means it’s going to happen, but it can certainly give you a boost when you need it most. And again, you never know what can happen in the future, and this could be the moment where it all started,

When you think it, you can feel it – even for a nanosecond. For some of us, that is the best moment of our days, the feeling we create for ourselves with fantasy.

While we have responsibilities and need to be sensible as adults, please don’t bring that sentiment to your fantasies. As Taylor Swift says in Guilty As Sin (a ballad of fantasy): “there’s no such thing as bad thoughts, only your actions talk“, so allow your thoughts to be as wild and magical as possible*.

I’m just scratching the surface of fantasy and what I want to say, so consider this an introduction/ a gathering of my thoughts.

In the grand scheme of things, what you think may not seem that important – but it can be the beginning of actions. And that’s got to be worth something.

Speak soon,

Rachael

*If you need additional support with your thoughts, such as if your fantasy is to hurt yourself or others, please speak to professionals. Call Samaritans if the idea of free thoughts is too much, or emergency medical facilities.

Image: Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, illustrated by Flora White (Oxford University Press, 1914) as found here.