I’ve worked directly with metaphor for 30 years, both professionally and personally, and there’s one image that has never let me go: I’m a plant rooted in rich, fertile soil. On a personal level, when I don’t know what to do or something in life is troubling me, all I need is to open myself…
I recently had a thought-provoking conversation with a friend about whether the images and metaphors that surface in our subconscious are “real.” Like dreams, I believe these images have something to teach us, and on that point, my friend and I agree. However, his concern lies with what I call a “key image.” Key images…
“Don’t look for me in a human shape. I am inside your looking. No need for form with a love this strong.” —Rumi Rumi’s lines are deeply evocative and open to interpretation. As someone who teaches courses on the psychology of metaphor, I see these words as pointing to the profound power of metaphor in…
Imagination is indirect, nonlinear, and often delightfully messy. It doesn’t deliver quick fixes or numerically precise solutions but instead takes us to new perspectives and possibilities. By opening our imaginations, we challenge norms and venture into uncharted territory. It’s no wonder this process can feel intimidating—creativity often brings us face-to-face with unfamiliar and quirky insights…
There was a child went forth every day.And the first object he looks upon, that object he became.–Walt Whitman The late poet Stanley Kunitz believed that writers often have a “key image” that threads through their work, shaping their creative journey. He suggested that writers might spend an entire lifetime exploring a single key image,…
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