Neil Gaiman’s book, the View from the Cheap Seats, talked about fantasy and imagination.  What he learned from his trip to China is very interesting regarding this subject. 

Neil Gaiman is a fiction writer, especially for young readers, and in 2007 went to a worldwide meeting for fiction writers in China. He knew that over the years, China didn't even allow fairy tales and fiction in their schools, so he was surprised that this event had invited him to China for this event.

He asked an official of the event what had happened and why the interest now was in fantasy and fiction. He was told that top Chinese officials had toured all the big companies they did outsourcing work with within the United States and asked those they met "what they read.” They all said science fiction was a top choice, and fantasy and fiction went along with this. They were looking for why these plants excelled in creativity.  It seemed clear from their findings that creativity was sparked by imagination.  Fiction and fantasy were added to the school curriculum in Chinese schools.

The book contains speeches, articles, introductions, and essays.  His first chapter sets the tone with his focus on "Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming.” He said in the introduction that he liked fiction because he wanted to "tell the truth without ever needing to worry about the facts."

A creative effort that I have spent years on has been my website:

( connectedeventsmatter.com )

The website has evolved to focus on first books, now around 500, and then positive influences, personal reinvention, career development, books I have written, and other interests that will complement these goals.

Reinventing Ourselves & Our Careers. How to “Be the Change.” How to Reinvent Yourself Each Day. Reinvent the Future. Make Order out of Chaos. Choose Your Direction in Life. Finding Inspiration.

As I added other areas of interest to the site, I found that the base and variety of reading were helpful and complimentary.

Reading helps us be open to new ideas and understand new things. We practice imagination by letting words describe a particular image and manipulating the picture in our minds. This strengthens our minds because we learn from others' experiences and adapt the learning to our environment.