Imagining that Faraway Tree

‘Books may well be the only true magic.’ Alice Hoffman

Five of my favourite Enid Blyton books

Rambling Vines design by Nelly and Isobel

Fresh Growth design by Nelly and Isobel

Got a favourite book? 

When did you first read it? 

How many times have you read it? 

I’ve got another (deeper) question. What book sparked your curiosity, captured your imagination and never let go?

I can’t remember if they were first read to me or if I read them silently to myself but Enid Blyton books had me fascinated as a child and lit that desire to read, and read some more. Many of the characters and scenes and how I felt as I read those words can still be remembered to this day. The ‘Folk of the Faraway Tree’ series and the pair of ‘Wishing Chair’ books were my firm favourites. Travelling to new lands by simply climbing a tree or sitting in a chair!!? I was hooked. 

At a garden’s edge sits an Enchanted Forest with a Magic Faraway tree. Siblings Jo, Fanny and Bessie and their cousin Dick meet and become friends with characters with glorious names like Moon Face, Saucepan Man, Mister Watzisname and Silky. That wonderful tree with its topmost branches way above the swirling clouds that lead to ever-changing magical lands. The children learnt to avoid Dame Wash-a-lot and her tub of dirty washing water as it cascaded down the tree, and were mindful to never get left behind in a new land when the clouds started to move. To this day I will gaze up the trunk of soaring trees and wonder.

And oh how I wanted to find a vintage shop run by wee fairy folk, just like young Mollie and Peter did. I dreamed of owning a chair that sprouted wings and could fly to magical places where I too could rescue a pixie who would then come live in secrecy in my home. 

All fabulous fantasy yet these stories, at the time unbeknown to me, laid the foundations for my imagination, curiosity and creativity. 

‘A book is a device to ignite the imagination.’ Alan Bennett

It has been said that literature read during childhood leaves a lasting impression. Many of today’s successful artists, writers, film makers and other creatives credit childhood reading materials as the source of their inspiration and imagination. It is almost like childhood reading plants a seed that slowly blooms as the person grows, and the wonderful thing is that each book has the ability to plant completely different seeds into each and every mind. 

One of the keys with our creativity is to keep that childhood imagination alive. 

Nurturing that imagination, and in turn creativity, requires the letting go of fears and embracing the unknown. Easier said than done, I know! But our imagination is what allows us to create something unique and captivating. It helps us to stand out in a competitive market, setting us apart from everyone else. We can only be our individual, solo selves and the thing that makes our creativity unique are those seeds planted throughout our lives. Seeds just waiting to be nurtured and allowed to grow in that cavernous place without boundaries - the imagination.

For me, when creating a surface pattern, it all starts with my curiosity. It is the beginning of a story told in patterns and my imagination sets off on a journey. Seeking inspiration from my surrounds - nature, art, books …. I then mix and match different styles, and experiment with colours and textures. Mix some more, add, remove, twist and tweak. The results can be quite awful but I always have the opportunity to start again. Conversely, unexpected combinations can result in surprisingly charming designs. 

Subliminal imagination is equally fun and astonishing. And sneaky. When you think you are creating something fresh, totally from the depths of your own unique creative mind, only to later realise you were actually influenced by words or images long forgotten. It was when I pulled out my stash of childhood books whilst writing this blog post that I realised the influence these covers and stories have had. Loose lines and trailing florals are part of my go-to design style and whilst flicking through some childhood books I saw evidence of where this came from. The seed planted. Even the colour I used in my ‘Fresh Growth’ design (featured to the left in the photo with Enid Blyton’s ‘The Wishing Chair Again’ book).  To my eyes it is the perfect shade of pink. Not too candy pink, not too wishy-washy; I love it. See the title of the book? Mmmm…..yeah, that colour caught my eye decades ago. And the names I have given my designs - Rambling Vines, Fresh Growth, Overgrown and Little Branches … That Enchanted Forest certainly rooted itself in my mind, quietly waiting to be put to creative use.

Imagination is boundless. Just like those lands high up in the Faraway Tree, the number of new things to see and create is never ending. I’m not saying it isn’t without its challenges nor am I saying that every time you sit down to create it will all fall into place with ease. But what will help the process is to embrace our individual imagination and curiosity and let it roam. As the novelist Alice Walker perfectly phrased - If you fall in love with the imagination, you understand that it is a free spirit. It will go anywhere, and it can do anything.

Let me know if there is a book or series of books that will always hold a special place in your memory. Do you think it has had any impact on your creative choices? Even influenced decisions made in your day to day life? Caused you to seek out something you would never have thought to find? If so, how? I’d love to hear all about it.

In the meantime, I am off to have a cup of tea and chat with my house pixie. She needs to help out more with the cooking and cleaning around here!