IMAGINATION is a portal to any person’s universe - It is limitless.

Creativity underpins imagination and it is sad when adults have little imagination or seldom use it.

As we age, we learn more and start to consolidate our individual beliefs. We become fixed in our habits and conform to society.

Adapting to societal ‘norms’ hinders original and creative thinking. We must be open-minded and let go of the idea that our personal opinions hold more importance than everyone else’s in the room.

The beauty of imagination is that it is never right or wrong. Humans love to categorise things as it comforts us to think we are somehow in control.

Imagination cannot be contained, it is freedom. It is like a child’s playground, a haven to create whatever we wish.

The physicist Albert Einstein stated: "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."

Famous figures in history such as Grace Hopper, Thomas Edison and Marie Curie have proved to be some of the most creative of people. They all shared the same quality- a big imagination which has led them to great discoveries transforming the world.

Hopper designed the Harvard’s 1 Computer in 1944. It weighed five tons and was a room-size machine. She became one of the first programmers in computing history.

Edison invented many appliances. His most famous was arguably the invention of the incandescent light bulb in 1879.

Marie Curie was awarded two Nobel prizes, one in Chemistry and the other in Physics for her research on radioactivity, discovering two chemical elements, radium and polonium.

What's my inspiration for the New Year? Innovation begins with curiosity and passion. We next find success through creative thinking. Imagination is the wondrous tool to answer life’s questions.

By Aimee Mortimore