If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
- Henry David Thoreau

I read somewhere recently that daydreaming was a waste of life’s energy. I’m not especially sure I entirely agree with that.  Actually if pushed I would say I totally disagree with it.  Daydreaming is after all an act of creativity and creation is what drives the world.  Without daydreaming there would be no paintings, no movies, no Twitter, no cell phone,no cookies 'n' cream icecream.  Just think about how many of the things have originated from the words "what if..."or "why not try..."

I much prefer Thoreau’s idea that rather than abandoning our castles in the air we take steps to give them foundations.  The building of air castles – oh okay, daydreaming but only because I heard someone out there insist – in and of itself is both an enjoyable and healthy practice. It is often during this phase that we work through the hows, whats, wheres, whens and most importantly the whys.

While we daydream we begin to create a map in our minds of where we want to go.  Whether it’s while you are brushing your teeth, or staring into the steam of your coffee cup – this moment of creativity can be a turning point in your day – or even your entire life. The important thing is to not waste it by letting it slip away in that espresso steam. Instead take hold of it and start building those  foundations – until your castle is no longer in the air, but solidly and successfully in front of you.  Building this website has been my castle in the air for a long time - until I finally decided I need to put foundations under it and get it online.

There are a lot of really good books out there to help you with daydreaming in a creative and productive manner but the best is probably Creative Flowdreaming by Summer McStravick. Don’t forget not every day dream has to turn into something. There is nothing wrong with a little idle fantasy while you have your morning tea – as long as you remember it is fantasy. After a while you will work out which daydreams are worth working on and which ones aren’t. It may sound corny but enjoy the ride and when the right destination appears at the end of the road you’ll recognize it

There will no doubt be times when you need to adjust things - but if your foundation is strong it will only be a momentary delay.  Don't forget momentary delays, cross roads and sudden turns in the road can sometimes lead you to bigger, brighter, better things than you imagined when you first started out.

Welcome to Underground Mainstream.  For a long time it has been my air castle. Like so many things it started off one way, took a few twists and turns until arriving where it is.  I have dreamed about it, played with it, tried things with it and I've put it down and left alone.  But I kept coming back to it - because deep down I knew this particular castle was where I wanted to be.  I hope you will visit often and be able to take away something that might be of interest or of help.  Most of all I hope it will help you start dreaming your own castle - and one day build it.

In the meantime please feel free to comment on the articles and stories you find here on Underground Mainstream or if you would like to use any of the work I have written, please do not hesitate to email me.

See you a little further on up the road!