Witness 10: Shall We Bring Magic Back?
Your imagination was probably one of your first friends
A QUIET JOY
FROM YOU
t's hard to get many words from my son at the end of his school day, but come bedtime, once his night-time routine begins, his world opens up and spills out in an enthusiastic, lyrically, wonderful way. He recounts a magical mix of real and imagined tales blending them seamlessly together until sleep comes calling. Once the lights are dimmed, he quietly whispers to me, "I love you Mama". In that moment, the real and imagined worlds slip away and all that is there between us is pure love.
Christina, Ascot
A REFLECTION FROM ME
Children know. They just know. They know magic all too well. When we were younger, we knew magic as intimately as we knew the cartoons we'd watch on repeat. Tantalised by the ongoings in our imagination. Creating rich inner lives and storylines for our dolls and teddy bears. Dance routines invented on the playground. Games discovered before screens emerged.
Magic existed. Not just for wannabe witches and wizards. It existed because for our curious, vivid minds, how could it not exist?
This world was unfamiliar, a new place to adventure on, so much to see and do. Maybe the younger we are, we are closer to remembering whatever came before. The space before existence, where possibilities abound. Swimming in the present moment. Not burdened by the past. No expectations of the future. Just existence. Just that moment.
Then we forget. With each passing year we build up an internal evidence file. While keeping us safe, in routine and processing; it also takes away. We raise an innocent hand in class, people laugh, we don't raise a hand again, we then don't want to volunteer to do a presentation at work, we then avoid introducing ourselves in new rooms of potential friends.
Magic slips away.
We tell someone we still play with Barbies on the playground, they laugh because only “babies” still play with toys, so we cut all of our Barbie's hair off in fevered shame and never play with her again. We then scroll on our phones twenty years later and see someone say, “imagine still wearing skinny jeans in 2023” and feel that same feeling rising again, as we second guess our sartorial choices.
Magic slips aways.
We tell someone that we want to be an actress when we grow up, they laugh and say that's not a real job, so we stop rehearsing in our rooms. We then sit at desks we don't belong in, cosplaying in a life that doesn't feel true to us.
Magic slips away. Unless it doesn't.
There's not an age-limit for magic. There are no rules. It is not owned by anyone.
It lives inside us, waiting for us to say it's safe to walk around with us.
Magic belongs in the everyday in saying I love you and seeing someone's face transform when you say the words. Magic finds a home when we allow ourselves to wish, hope and dream even when life convinces us that it might never happen. Magic is in us sitting on park benches and wondering why the sky is blue, even when we know the reason, yet we seek the exciting thoughts that are beneath the explanation. Magic is a noticing of what we forget to see. It's a paying attention to what we name as unimportant because it is familiar. Magic is us wondering why the hell we're here and not needing to answer the question, because the answer is so beautiful we can't even comprehend it.
Magic wants to come out and play with us again.
So, let's remember how to play.
2 QUICK WAYS TO FIND…
Magic in the everyday
DAYDREAM AGAIN
We don't use our imaginations nearly enough, so make some space for it over the next few days. It can be a few minutes after you move your body, before you fall asleep or just during the day when you have a minute or two to relax. No rules here. Just let yourself daydream, wander in your mind, imagine what's next, hope, dream.
PLAY, PLAY, PLAY
Being an adult feels like incredibly serious business with endless responsibilities. Play in between it all. Think about all of the things that inspired magic for you when you were a child. Maybe that's fiction writing, drawing, dancing or watching fairytales and imagining you're a character. Bring it back.