Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • Playgrounds Make a Great Place for a Play Day
  • Critical Lightning Detection
  • Rules of the Red Rubber Ball Book Review
  • 3 Overlooked Benefits to Building a Playground in Your Community
  • Play Spaces for All Abilities

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Play
  3. Hierarchy of Imagination

Hierarchy of Imagination

Play
January 04, 2016
Profile picture for user Bernie Dekoven
By Bernie Dekoven on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
1021
Brennan's Hierarchy of Imagination

Brennan's Hierarchy of Imagination

Deep Fun

There were two things, no, make that three, that struck me enough about Patricia Flatley Brennan Maslow-like "Hierarchy of the Imagination" to make me want to share it with you:

  1. That somebody actually made such a thing
  2. That it's about imagination
  3. That the top of the hierarchy is imagination, completely unconstrained, pure and unapplied. Yes. 

Because this is what led me to explore (so late in my fun-focused career) this faculty of ours that we call "imagination" - the realization that it is something we do for fun. Unconstrained and unapplied. And it's on the veritable top of the hierarchy! 

In the article "Imagining a healthier future," we learn that she had help in developing her model from her colleague and mentor John Maeda who understood imagination as “a gift that can be opened when one has some degree of safety and agency” - the same conditions we need to open the gift of play.

Brennan, the article continues, was

"a skeptic of insight-oriented cognitive approaches expressed her ideas about imagination to Maeda who was able to formulate them as a drawing. By the end of their session [the Hierarchy of Imagination] was born. The discussion leading to this concept focused on getting patients to imagine themselves as healthier individuals. Brennan’s hypothesis was that creativity could not necessarily be taught but that it is malleable and could be cultivated – encouraging patients to expand their imaginations could help them envision better outcomes."

I repeat: encouraging patients to expand their imaginations could help them envision better outcomes. Here, then, in brief, is imagination applied.

Medea opines:

"This is the result of a conversation I had with Patti Brennan about the nature of creativity and imagination that was inspired by Maslow’s famous Hierarchy of Needs. I was impressed how Patti had a clear mental model of why “teaching creativity doesn’t work but expanding their imaginations might work better” in the context of some of her work in patient healthcare. Her basic thought was that in order to get patients to take control of their health, they need to imagine what it looks like to be more healthy.

At the base of the pyramid is human reflex -- i.e. response to a stimulus. One level above it is problem-solving which in her mind doesn’t require creativity and just a set of processes that can be activated. Above that is creativity -- an elevated form of problem-solving that involves invention and improvisation. And at the very top is imagination, which Patti insisted is “boundless creativity.” You can mix the different levels at the interfaces and see a different kind of creativity/action happening. I sincerely enjoyed how this model felt in my mind."

Me too - "enjoyed how this model felt in my mind." I love that expression "felt in my mind." I love that Medea enjoyed it. I love an idea can feel good. Like fun. Read here for some ways to encourage creativity.

Profile picture for user Bernie Dekoven
Bernie Dekoven
Published 7 years ago
Last updated 3 months ago
1021
1
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About

Mar 22, 2019
Play

Train Ride Inspires Playful Conversations

Pat Rumbaugh
Dec 20, 2016
Play

The Strong Museum to Publish the Last Manuscript of Renowned Play Scholar Brian Sutton-Smith

Shane Rhinewald
Dec 20, 2015
Play

Coming Together to Protect Play

Jay-Beckwith
Sep 23, 2020
Play

Finding Play During a Global Pandemic

Pat Rumbaugh
Mar 19, 2018
Play

You Don’t Have To Beat an Opponent to Be a Winner

Reeve Brenner
May 01, 2009
Play

Critical Issues In Play

David B Parker
Jun 30, 2021
Play

The Doctor Is In

Peter Dargatz
Aug 24, 2021
Play

The Stigma Around Play

Praneeth Kolli
Dec 20, 2015
Play

The Impact of New Games: Then and Now

Wiljmich
Jul 13, 2021
Play

Is Jumping On The Mattress Good For Your Children?

Allen Brown
Sep 14, 2018
Play

Let's Play America's Interns and Volunteers Help Bring Play to Everyone

Pat Rumbaugh
Feb 28, 2022
Play

Ways To Teach Waste Management to Children

PGP

Play Professionals

Playful Creative Summit
Playful Creative Summit
Organization
More
Sunflower Creative Arts
Sunflower Creative Arts
Services
More
Play Australia
Play Australia
Organization
More
The Genius of Play
The Genius of Play
Organization
More
Playocracy
Playocracy
Organization
More
Home

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Playground Magazine
  • Contributors
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2023 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions