Hi. I’m Sarah, and I find the distinction between “real” and “imaginary” fascinating. As a child, whenever I heard adults dismiss something as “only imaginary,” my brain would start to itch. The itch only intensified as I got older.

Since you’re here, I assume you read fiction. If you don’t, you probably have a favorite movie with a fictional plot. If you don’t, pause here, find a good psychologist, and cultivate a personality. Now, think of your favorite character. What do they look like? How do they sound? What would you talk about if you met for coffee?

Think of the person who lives two blocks down and five blocks over. Same questions.

Nothing? They’re real, you know. They probably have friends and do important things. Your favorite character is only imaginary. Yet their story has impacted your life more than your neighbor. If their story is famous, they’ve probably impacted thousands of people around the world.

Who’s more real?

Humans are hard-wired to imagine. We play games of, “If this, then what?” to plan our actions. I was an anxious child, and my “if this” scenarios spiraled into complicated fantasies. “If aliens invade, I’ll act like Leonardo the Ninja Turtle, and organize my classmates into an army.” That imaginary persona definitely influenced how often I shared my real-life gummy bears.

I never grew out of it. Now I’m imagining myself as a writer, sharing my wild “if this” scenarios. I hope a few other people out there enjoy them and, perhaps, take away some inspiration as to how to allocate their own gummy bears.

Stories and their characters shape our reality. Pay attention to the tales you tell yourself, and always be on the lookout for new ones that can change your world.

Prefer your bios with more facts and fewer questions? Check out my first blog post here.

Contact Sarah for more info.