Barron distillation

“The ability to imagine has made a crucial difference in my life,” relates T. A. Barron in

his essay We Are What We Imagine. He adds that it applies “just as much in my adulthood as it

did in my youth,” making the case for the necessity of imagination throughout one’s life. Barron

uses exhibits from underprivileged youth in Brooklyn to a struggling Native American tribe in

Alaska, as well as fictional characters from his novels, to show how imagination helps you step

out of the world you are in and picture the world differently. “These kids know that their

struggles are real,” states Barron, but “through imagination … they discover that their hopes are

also real.” Even for Barron as a young boy, imagination sparked his curiosity and has provided

inspiration for him as a writer. Barron ultimately believes that by “encouraging the power of

imagination in young people, [we] are truly inspiring the power of creation.”