Let’s Hear it for the Dreamers - Why We Need to Foster Imagination

"I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

— Oscar Wilde

When was the last time you let yourself truly dream?

Not the fleeting kind of daydream where you're worrying about missing your bus or forgetting your keys, but the deep, immersive kind where your mind wanders freely. As a child, I spent countless hours dreaming into different possibilities—often while hanging upside down from a tree or staring out of a window.

Sometimes, being a dreamer left me feeling a bit isolated. I clearly remember the time I was caught mid-conversation with a tree (as one does) by the local bully. That "conversation" later became dialogue for a short play I wrote for my classmates, but that didn’t quite erase the sting when Robby Robinson decided to make me his target on the school bus.

Dreamers, like Oscar Wilde suggests, often find themselves navigating a world where others don’t immediately see what they see. They’re walking by moonlight, piecing together ideas and possibilities that are still hidden from everyone else.

Why Dreaming in the Dark Matters

This ability to dream—especially when it feels like you’re alone in it—can be a gift. When you allow yourself to truly dream, you engage with a world of endless possibilities, where innovation and creativity are born. It's the place where "what if?" and "what’s possible" meet.

And dreaming isn’t just essential in the arts; it’s a driving force behind advancements in technology, science, and engineering too. Albert Einstein credited his theory of relativity to imaginative daydreaming, visualising what it would be like to ride alongside a beam of light. That seemingly wild idea led to one of the most groundbreaking scientific theories in history. It’s proof that dreams, no matter how abstract, can change the world.

The Burden (and Beauty) of Being a Dreamer

But being a dreamer isn’t always easy. Wilde's idea that a dreamer's "punishment" is seeing the dawn before the rest of the world is spot on. When you’re ahead of your time, it can be frustrating to wait for others to catch up. History is full of artists who went unrecognised for their work in their own lifetime, only to be celebrated posthumously.

Take Australian artist Brett Whiteley, for example. His visionary artworks, which broke traditional boundaries, were often misunderstood in his time. People didn’t always see what he was doing, but his unique perspective eventually revolutionised the Australian art scene. For dreamers, that sense of isolation and being misunderstood is often part of the journey.

Creativity, Drama, and Embracing Your Inner Dreamer

This delicate balance between beauty and burden is what makes dreamers so powerful. Dreaming allows us to envision what’s not yet visible, but it can also set us apart. It’s this unique perspective that’s invaluable, especially in creative fields like drama, where dreaming and imagination are essential.

Actor Timothée Chalamet felt isolated as a dreamer. As a shy and introverted teenager in New York, he spent hours daydreaming and obsessing over films. This sense of isolation made him feel "different," but he credits it with helping him channel his emotions into his art. He has said that this introspective nature and his ability to dream deeply helped him develop a unique approach to his craft, enabling him to fully immerse himself in the characters he portrays. His early sense of feeling misunderstood has become a key part of what makes him such a sensitive and nuanced performer.

Why Drama Classes Matter

In today’s fast-paced world, where practicality often overshadows creativity, it’s easy to forget the value of dreaming. But drama classes aren’t just about performing. They’re about embracing imagination, experimenting with new ideas, and learning to see and create beyond the ordinary.

For kids, it’s a chance to turn their wildest ideas into stories and characters. For adults, it’s an opportunity to reconnect with that long-lost sense of play and possibility. Drama helps us all, no matter our age, turn dreams into something tangible and transformative - it is a way to equip us with the tools to live boldly, express ourselves confidently and - perhaps most importantly - celebrate our individuality.

So, let’s celebrate the dreamers—the ones who dare to imagine, create, and see a world full of vibrant potential.