Daniel Merriam

Creative Critical Thinking

There is no greater amusement park than the imagination itself. It really doesn’t take much to send a vivid imagination into worlds of its own. That’s the role artists play. Simply suggest the possibilities and others’ imaginations run with the ideas, building their lives upon them. 

Is it art therapy, entertainment, or a pastime? Is it science, exploration, and discovery? The process of creating art and/or observing art releases dopamines that facilitate growth, healing and altruism, the ultimate humanitarian cure.  

Throughout history humans have used their imaginations to build empires, conjure up mythologies or map the stars. Our ability to bridge the perception of time is held within our imaginations. If we imagine war, we will eventually get war. If we imagine peace, we will eventually have peace.  

How much more successful would scientific innovations or political agendas be if scientists and politicians were paired with artists, while taking on our greatest challenges? Any think tank would be incomplete without the input from a visionary.  

Creative people have divergent thinking styles. They constantly experiment, flipping things upside down to see how they work, and changing directions in order to explore all possibilities.  

In this generation, mankind is faced with the greatest challenges ever. If we are to move forward or carry on, we must work together in collaboration with all skillsets. We should look for answers everywhere, even, and especially, within our dreams. 

Daniel Merriam is a painter best known for his fantastic whimsical style, often themed around elaborate architecture, whose art has been exhibited internationally for over three decades and can be found in private, corporate and museum collections throughout the world, and whose latest works are currently exhibited exclusively by his own Bubble Street Gallery at 565 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA.