Are you in the "imagination" Bizness?

From the time we start uttering our first words to try and describe the world around us, we started our very first job. No, not walking to our parents(let alone say their names), or writing our name. Our first job was in the describing of some, if not all of the various things we came into contact with, the job of being creative. And since we started this new endeavor, it's been nonstop. But i have to ask, "Are you in the imagination bizness?", or better yet, did you ever leave? Let's talk about some areas that are in the "imagination bizness":

The Actor/Actress

From heroes and villians, spectacular and mundane, to young and old, these individuals get to do on a daily basis what we all did at one time in grade school: pretend to be someone else! To be able to step into, for short time, the life of a fictional character and to tell their story by means of laughter, sneers, screams, and tears. Each persona they "step" into is by no means simple, often confusingly complex, with a psychological makeup that when the performance is done, the actor or actress is sometimes left with the lingering scars from the character, or characters they leave behind before attempting to dive into another role. Though personally(and sometimes financially) rewarding, in the bizness to pretend, we get to see visual stories played out for all to see. but not only visual stories, animated stories as well. Actors and actresses often times as well will lend their voice to an "animated" character, giving this fictional person, once they find the character's voice, all the fire, love, and tears that would embody a physical presence. If you've ever watched an anime show before, you'll feel what i say is true. Whether on the screen, or on a stage, the bizness of pretending has, and will never go out of style!

The Cosplayer

Ever since the word "Cosplay"(abbreviated from costume and play) was coined in 1984 by Nobuyuki Takahashi, the bizness of playing "dress up" has exploded like never before! People from all walks of life, both young and old dress up in various costumes to become some of their favorite characters, be it live action, or animated. Sharing the stage with their screen counterparts, cosplayers get to leave their day-to-day personas, and slip into the clothes of one of their favorite characters for a time, whether it be for a comic book convention("Cons" for short), or a childrens' ward bringing hope and smiles. Now, you would think that this kind of thing is only meant for Halloween, but you would be wrong. Cosplaying is an year round, anytime event, and the bizness of creating new and unique costumes is all about thinking "outside the box". Cosplayers take inspiration from favorite shows and create new forms of expression for their characters. Creating armor, weapons, seasonal costumes and gender switching that the character in question has never been portrayed in, are brought to life by the cosplayer, bringing awe and finding in themselves skills they never knew they had. So, next time someone asks you if you played dress up when you were little, tell them you did and still do, just in a different way.

Game Design

World creation, a digital wonder! What happens when you bring creativity and add a bunch of zeroes and ones(i know it's more than that), and put it on a screen? You get the potential of creating a game. From the very basic(Pong as an example), to the latest immersive creation that's out there today! Not only do you draw from designers who write and test the code to make things run smooth, from artists who sketch the worlds and characters that we get to play in and with, to the voice actors who help bring the emotion to the various storylines that their characters will play. But, we must never forget, that the "world" in which various games are created are in and of themselves a "character" as well. An active masterpiece of sight and sound, and in the bizness of creativity, the sky is limitless.

The Writer

What can you say about the writer? That although our tools begin with pencil and paper, we become the architect for a multitude of worlds and stories unknown and waiting to be told. Writers come in many colors and sizes, various ages and backgrounds, but with all the variety, one thing writers love most is, to tell a story. Whether the writer is a poet pouring their heart out about "the facts of life", or a young writer describing the best way to make a peanut butter sandwich, each have a voice, each have something to say. The writer is the silent entertainer; the recorder of dreams, and the weaver of emotions in the written word. Whether it be fact, or fiction, writers pour onto paper their observations, feelings, and sometimes fears to immerse the reader to see the "what ifs" and to remind all of us one of the most best gifts we all have: to imagine. The bizness of the writer can be long, sometimes under appreciated, but for those who hold true, rewarding.

So, with this, i ask the question again, "Are you in the imagination bizness?" It doesn't matter whether its paid or unpaid, are you working in the bizness of the creative? There are a lot more areas i couldn't think of, but my hope is for yourself you can answer the question with yes, the journey you take from here, is up to you.