PRACTICAL DAYDREAMING: A TOOL TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Have you ever come across Dimitry Didorenko or Esref Armagan? They are both blind
while one lost his sight during a digging operation in the forests of Ukraine, where they
tried to find remains of Russian soldiers who were considered to be missing since the
World War 2; the other was born blind and could never see as you and I do.

What stands these two men out

however is that they are ARTISTS. Not
musicians or anything that has to do
with media, I mean painters. They draw
and paint! Esref’s case is so
overwhelming because he has never
seen colours and does not know what
red looks like neither can he
differentiate blue from green nor can he
tell you what a dog or a flower should
look like. He was born blind and yet he
paints! Painting in the Dark by Esref Armagan

Theirs is a case of daydreaming and seeing colours. Even though they might not be able
to tell you what the colour of your dress is they can paint in colours, they have dreamt
about colours and have brought it to life.

Once upon a time man used horse-drawn carriages to move from one place to another
and dreamt of what it would be like to fly. He looked at the bird in the sky and the fish
in the water and imagined having a machine that could do what they do.

Henry Ford, The Wright brothers, George Stephenson, Ernst Alexanderson, Thomas
Edison and a lot of others all had daydreams like this too. They believed it was possible
and knew that it would not be easy.

Edison’s dream for electricity is simply put in his

words as "We will make electricity so cheap that
only the rich will burn candles."
They brought to life what was their musing and fantasy. What they hoped and believed
could be possible and of use to the people in their environment; making their life better
and making output more rewarding. From this daydreams inventions that we still make
use of today became a reality; cars, airplanes, trains, radio and television, electricity,
electric bulb; even years after they have gone.

This is practical daydreaming!!

Every business starts with a daydream, a fantasy of sort, wishful thinking of creating
and developing a product or service to meet a particular need that they perceive in their
mind could be of use to the people in their community. An entrepreneur makes a
conversion from fantasy to reality by starting the business. His dream becomes a vision
– a dream with a deadline - and achievable goals are set.

In 1891, Henry Ford became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company; a
company owned by Thomas Edison. It was while working here after his promotion that
he started working on his daydreams and he created his first automobile in 1896. His
daydream was not money or how to be rich, no! His daydream was how to make an
automobile that would move on its own using a steam engine and one that would be
affordable for all. He started the Ford Motor Company!

Meeting a need and doing it well brings the money,

fame and recognition!!

In the 1800s working in the coal mines was almost always a death trap but it was the
most common work then because of the unlimited need for coal in heating homes and a
lot of other needs. The miners usually ended up going blind after been in the mine for
too long because light in the mine caused explosions. George Stephenson an
uneducated engineer invented a gas lamp that enabled the miners to mine without fear
of explosion.

He saw a need, dreamt what could be used to meet

the need and worked at it!

His most outstanding work however was the trains he created. The possibility of
hauling heavy coal from one point to another on rail became his focus. He daydreamed
of a contraption that could haul coal from the mines to designated spots. He saw the
need for more efficient work, instead of using the horse drawn carts that was time
consuming, a steam rail that initially used wooden rails and later iron rails was
developed by a miner who wanted more efficiency in his and his community’s work.
He knew this would also result in survival of lives, increased output and more money
for the people.

His was a daydream that was practical!

Every success story in life comes from one man’s daydream and belief that it can be
done.

Just like Esref and Dimitry, who although blind still created beauty that even those who
can see admire and spend money on. Every business man can still create products and
services from circumstances in which he finds himself.

All that is needed is that we be practical in our daydreaming and bring our fantasies to
life. Any daydream that is solely based on money or financial reward is not practical
but if it is a dream that puts others first and seeks a way to make life better then let it
loose and the money will come.

Happy practical daydreaming!!