Imagination Part 2: Prompts

[This article is part of a series about how to craft an intentional life using ideas and tools from Constantin Stanislavski’s acting system for working on our inner motive forces. Previous article: Imagination Part 1: The Magic If]


In the previous chapter, I discussed how Stanislavski saw imagination as an important tool of the Intellect. I also introduced the Magic If, Stanislavski’s mechanism for stimulating imagination in our daily lives. Using the Magic If, observing the world around us, and embracing our sensory experiences are excellent ways to trigger the imagination. Even so, imagination can be difficult to prompt if our emotions are not in the right place - we are not in the mood - or we have mental blocks to struggle against. This chapter introduces ideas and techniques from Stanislavski that prompt a reluctant imagination.

How to prompt the imagination

It’s all very well to say ‘use your imagination’ but that can be difficult to do in each moment. It is well-recognised in creative fields that, while a ‘blank canvas’ may give the artist complete flexibility and control over the artistic process, it also adds overhead to creative thought. It is much less daunting to face a project that has some design constraints to guide the artist. In the same way, trying to be creative in our lives, be inspired and imagine great possibilities without any guidelines can be intimidating and easily feel impossible. Here, I describe an idea and a process from Stanislavski that create constraints and prime our minds, emotions and will for creativity.

Context

Context is hugely important to mood, thinking, imagination, and the actions we take. Stanislavski makes the argument in this extract, for actors on a stage, but the point also stands for life.

“You know from your own experience what a bare, empty stage feels like to an actor; how difficult it is to concentrate attention on it, and how hard it is to play even a short exercise or simple sketch. Just try to stand up in such a space and pour out the role of Hamlet, Othello or Macbeth! How difficult it is to do it without the help of a director, a scheme of movements, without properties that you can lean on, sit on, move towards or group yourselves around! Because each situation that is prepared for you helps you to give a plastic outward form to your inner mood…

The usual impression is that a director uses all of his material means, such as the set, the lighting, sound effects and other accessories, for the primary purpose of impressing the public. On the contrary. We use these means more for their effect on the actors. We try in every way to facilitate the concentration of their attention on the stage... try to learn to look at and see things on the stage, to respond and give yourselves up to what is going on around you. In a word, make use of everything that will stimulate your feelings.” (Constantin Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares)

This is an important statement about curating one’s physical space – physical objects, lighting, and décor all make it more or less likely that our aims will be achieved. Our imaginations, emotions and will are heavily influenced by the world around us. If we create or place ourselves in an appropriate context, it will inspire us through the ideas, people, and spaces that we encounter.

We also need to interact with the world in an active, engaged way to bring ourselves to life – otherwise, our immediate world and existence are like an empty stage. It will be all the more difficult to create and act towards something wonderful in such a hollow, empty space.

Placing ourselves in the right context to be inspired and get things done is a big move towards actually achieving things. For example,

• Joining a gym or a running group if you want to exercise more
• Creating an attractive desk space if you want to work more on your computer
• Joining a writing group if you want to write more effectively
• Creating a peaceful, beautiful space if you want to relax and meditate

Steps to an active imagination

Imagination cannot be forced. It must be coaxed into action. If you struggle to use your imagination, Stanislavski describes 4 steps to prompt it.

(1) “If his imagination is inactive I ask him some simple question. He will have to answer, since he has been addressed. If he responds thoughtlessly, I do not accept his answer. Then, in order to give a more satisfactory answer, he must either rouse his imagination or else approach the subject through his mind, by means of logical reasoning. Work on the imagination is often prepared and directed in this conscious, intellectual manner. The student sees something, either in his memory or in his imagination: certain definite visual images are before him. For a brief moment, he lives in a dream.

(2) After that, another question, and the process is repeated. So with a third and fourth, until I have sustained and lengthened that brief moment into something approaching a whole picture. Perhaps, at first, this is not interesting. The valuable part about it is that the illusion has been woven together out of the student’s own inner images.

(3) Once this is accomplished, he can repeat it once or twice or many times. The more often he recalls it, the more deeply it will be printed in his memory, and the more deeply he will live into it…

(4) With sluggish imaginations which will not respond to even the simplest questions…I not only propound the question, I also suggest the answer. If the student can use the answer, he goes on from there. If not, he changes it and puts something else in its place. In either case, he has been obliged to use his own inner vision… Before this attempt has been made, the student has either had no image in his mind’s eye, or what he had was vague and confused. After the effort, he can see something definite and even vivid. The ground has been prepared in which the teacher… can sow new seeds….The student has learned the method by which he can take his imagination in hand and ply it with problems his own mind will suggest. He will form the habit of deliberately wrestling with the passivity and inertia of his imagination, and that is a long step ahead.” (Constantin Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares)

Use the steps above to prompt your own imagination.

• Imagination does not easily come from nothing. Try to think of a subject which is interesting to you. In order to get away from the mundane world around you, you must be interested in something in your mind. This can be something that you have read or seen recently. Put yourself in that situation using the Magic If. For example, on seeing ducks crossing a road with chicks, think What if I was that mother duck? Or seeing refugees in a war situation on the news, think What if I was a refugee?
• Once you have a concept in mind, add details with further questions, using your senses to guide you, and the six fundamental questions of Who? What? Where? How? Why? and For What Reason? We will discuss these questions further in the next chapter.
• Passive thoughts do not support imagination. Keep your thoughts active by adding action and progression to your imaginings. “First comes internal, and afterwards external action.” (Ibid)

Below are two detailed exercises to work on developing the imagination in different ways.

Exercise: Imagining a familiar space

The exercises in the previous chapter for the development of imagination are based on real circumstances. The next exercise removes the material grounding and takes place completely in the mind.

“‘Where would you like to be, and at what time?’

‘In my own room,’ I said, ‘at night.’

‘Good,’ said he. ‘If I were to be carried into those surroundings, it would be absolutely necessary for me first to make an approach to the house; to climb the outer steps; to ring the bell; to go through, in short, a whole series of acts leading up to my being in my room. Do you see a door-knob to grasp? Do you feel it turn? Does the door swing open? Now what is in front of you? ’

‘Straight before me is a closet, a bureau.'

‘What do you see on the left?’

‘My sofa, and a table.’

‘Try walking up and down; living in the room. What are you thinking about?’

‘I have found a letter, remember that it is not answered, and am embarrassed.’

‘Evidently you are in your room,’ the Director declared. ‘Now what are you going to do?’

‘It depends on what time it is.’ said I.

‘That’, said he in a tone of approval, ‘is a sensible remark. Let us agree that it is eleven o’clock at night...this exercise was a demonstration of a new way of using your imagination, in a place where everything was familiar to you. But what will you do when you are called upon to imagine an unfamiliar life? Suppose you take a journey around the world. You must not think it out “somehow”, or “in general”, or “approximately”, because all those terms do not belong in art. You must do it with all the details proper to such a large undertaking. Always remain in close contact with logic and coherence. This will help you to hold unsubstantial and slippery dreams close to steady solid facts.’” (Ibid)

1. Following Stanislavski’s example, imagine yourself in a familiar space.
2. Then imagine what you would do there at different times of the day or of the year.
3. Keep your imaginings logical and coherent with reality and likelihood, knowing yourself and the circumstances.
4. Make sure that the imagined events and space are detailed. As with the example, be specific about the objects and/or people around you, how you move through the space, and what you are doing.

Ensuring that you imagine familiar spaces and actions with logic, coherence, and detail will help you to maintain those qualities when you imagine unfamiliar spaces and events that pertain to your goal.

Exercise: The old oak tree

In this extended exercise, Stanislavski prompts a student to imagine something completely unfamiliar and fantastic. At each stage, he uses different prompts to elicit more detail. At the end of each stage, we will create our own exercise in fantastic imaginings.

Setting the scene

“I suggest that you, Paul, are living the life of a tree.’

‘Good,’ said Paul with decision. ‘I am an age-old oak! However, even though I have said it, I don’t really believe it.’

‘In that case,’ suggested the Director, ‘why don’t you say to yourself: “I am I; but if I were an old oak, set in certain surrounding conditions, what would I do?” and decide where you are, in a forest, in a meadow, on a mountain top; in whatever place affects you most.’ Paul…finally decided that he was standing in an upland meadow near the Alps. To the left, there is a castle on a height.

‘What do you see near you?’ asked the Director.

‘On myself I see a thick covering of leaves, which rustle.’

‘They do indeed,’ agreed the Director. ‘Up there the winds must often be strong.’

‘In my branches,’ continued Paul, ‘I see some birds’ nests.’ ” (Constantin Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares)

1. Inspired by the above example, decide on an object or animal that you want to imagine. For example, a flower, a fox, a dog, a car, an eagle, or a building. Describe yourself in detail - size, colour, and shape.
2. Set the scene where your choice exists. Decide where you are and what you see around you. Be specific.
3. If you are uninspired, use Stanislavski as a guide and follow this exercise precisely by following his example: be a tree and decide what kind of tree you will be. Then ask yourself the questions that he asks Paul, to draw out ideas.
• Where are you? Think about which places affect you most when you think of them.
• What do you see near you? Think about the kinds of things you would see around you in the place you have chosen.

Even though you are delving into the fantastic, try to keep your imaginings grounded in reality, in the actual circumstances that might surround the object or animal that you have chosen. As Stanislavski says, you don’t have to believe that you are your choice, but you must try to believe in what you would sense and do in the circumstances.

Filling in detail using the sense and reasoning

“At our last lesson, you told me who you were, where you were, and what you saw, with your inner eye. Now describe to me what your inner ear hears as an imaginary old oak tree.’

At first Paul could not hear anything.

‘Don’t you hear anything in the meadow around you?’

Then Paul said he could hear the sheep and the cows, the munching of grass, the tinkle of the cow-bells, the gossip of the women resting after their work in the fields.

‘Now tell me when all this is happening in your imagination,’ said the Director with interest.

Paul chose the feudal period.

‘Then, do you, as an aged oak, hear sounds that are particularly characteristic of that time?’

Paul reflected for a moment, and then said that he could hear a wandering minstrel on his way to a festival at the nearby castle.

‘Why do you stand alone in a field?’ the Director asked.

[Paul responds with a story about the baron of the castle cutting down the forest for fear of enemies hiding and only the oak being left standing to protect a stream at its base.]

‘Generally speaking, this question— for what reason? — is extremely important. It obliges you to clarify the object of your meditations, it suggests the future, and it impels you to action. A tree, of course, cannot have an active goal, nevertheless, it can have some active significance, and can serve some purpose.” (Ibid)

1. Continuing on from where you set your scene, fill in the details using your other senses.
• Focusing on each sense in turn, imagine what you hear, smell, taste and touch.
• Think about how the object or animal you have chosen might experience these senses.
2. Reasoning about the sensory options you have imagined, and what inspires you, decide when in time you exist. It can be any place in time, even the future, if you can describe a likely future in the space and with the subject you have chosen.
• Now think again about your sensory imaginings. Do they make sense in the time you have chosen? Can you add any that are specific to that time?
• Make sure that your imagined scene is coherent and consistent. If you need to change any details like the period or your sensory choices, then do so.
3. Decide why you are here, at this place and time. As Stanislavski says, the question of why is a spur to action. It describes the purpose or goal of the object, scene or person, which creates an interest in acting to achieve that purpose.
4. Go further than Stanislavski’s example here by asking yourself ‘Why’ repeatedly. For example, if we look deeper into the purpose of Paul’s tree and ask why the tree is needed to protect the stream, the mutual nurturing relationship between the tree and the stream becomes clear: the tree supports and guides the stream; the stream provides water to the tree. This also begins to answer ‘How’ the tree protects the stream.

Providing a call to action

"'Now’, the Director then said, ‘that your imagination has gradually accumulated a sufficient number of given circumstances, let us compare notes with the beginning of this piece of work. At first all you could think of was that you were an oak standing in a meadow. Your mind’s eye was full of generalities, clouded like a poorly developed negative. Now you can feel the earth under your roots… there is one more step to be taken. You must find some single new circumstance that will move you emotionally and incite you to action.’

Paul … could think of nothing.

‘In that case,’ said the Director, ‘let us try to solve the problem indirectly. First of all, tell me what you are most sensitive to in real life. What, more often than anything else, arouses your feelings— your fear or your joy? I am asking this quite apart from the theme of your imaginary life. When you know the inclinations of your own nature it is not difficult to adapt them to imaginary circumstances. Therefore, name some one trait, quality, interest, which is typical of you.’

‘I am very much excited by any kind of fight,’ said Paul.

‘In that case a raid by the enemy is what we want. The forces of the hostile neighbouring duke are already swarming up the meadow in which you stand. The fight will start here at any moment now. You will be showered with arrows from the enemy crossbows, and some will be pointed with flaming pitch – steady now and decide before it is too late, what you would do if this really happened to you." (Ibid)

For imagination to move us, it should include a compelling call to action that is rooted in reality. In the middle of this excerpt, Stanislavski provides clear guidance on how we can spur ourselves to action: think about what has roused you in the past, and what always excites you in your day-to-day life. Use that in your current circumstances to provoke action.

1. Provide a call to action in your imagined scene. Think about what excites you emotionally in life, and introduce something that brings that experience to your scene. 
• Often focusing on more visceral ideas helps here. For example, sex, violence, reconciliation, creation, destruction or farce.
• It will also help to connect the call to action to the purpose that you have identified for this scene.

The imaginative choices that you made in this exercise give you important clues about your preferences in your life. Take these learnings forward into your imaginary life and into your real life to inspire you when needed.

What is the point?

In the first chapter on imagination, I discussed how it can inspire and support us in our journey to creating and achieving goals. In this chapter, I revealed wisdom from Stanislavski about how to unlock imagination and practical techniques to practice.

In the next article, I discuss another of Stanislavski’s tools for Intellect: given circumstances. Unlike imagination and the Magic If, which are about opening up possibilities and opportunities for realising goals and moving towards them, the tool of given circumstances is about keeping us grounded in reality. This provides a strong base from which to set about achieving our goals.