FCI

I'm not just an advocate for play, but for FCI.  

FCI, meaning fantasy, creativity and imagination.  

And I'm not talking about the more passive uses of them – like being an observer to entertainment (watching TV or movies or other performances) – but active, playful use that engages your own FCI and the FCI of others.  

We have this love-hate attitude toward fantasy, creativity and imagination, where it's practically been ground out of most people, but then a few others who practice it are as good as worshipped for it.  The average person in a band or who writes or paints is seen as a wanna-be – as a *not* star, rather than understanding how good it is for people to use their FCI for no other reason but for themselves.  For personal enrichment.  For fun.  To play.  It's a quality of life thing, and so much more.  

Below, one of the members of Monty Python speaks about creativity and part of why it gets so discouraged and stigmatized, and does it with charming wit and humor, as well as some sharp-edged insight.  Thanks to Amy Woods, who shared this presentation by John Cleese:  

Play isn't the same thing as FCI, but it definitely involves one or more of them.  And like play, all of them do get discouraged pretty harshly as we grow up.  While on the one hand we see teachers at school with signs that say things like creative minds are the ones that change the world, other people come down on us for showing almost any sign of FCI with anger, humiliation, and threats of being branded and isolated – until one by one we give up on most of the fantasy/creativity/imagination we loved and enjoyed.  But not all.  

I want to know what FCI you've kept in your life?