For those of you who have managed to invite the little kid back inside your brain, how did you do it?
I always thought artists like Dali did exactly that - looked at things they know about, and considered alternative realities where the known facts aren't in the way of the imagination. Sure it's just a clock, but what could that clock do in another reality? Can time melt, and if it did, how would it look?
Maybe read some children's poetry and stories, and appreciate them for the various qualities that run deeper than the story itself. How do these adult writers express themselves in ways that children enjoy? What is currently blocking you from enjoying it?
Have you ever read books from Terry Pratchett? I think his Discworld series is a masterpiece of word and concept punnery that borders on childrens' imagination.
I've been trying to read more sci-fi lately to kick start that "impossibilities" thinking. These are some great thoughts
I would hazard to say that's how Elon Musk got the idea to land his rocket engines the way they now do. Before then, it was as impossible to land a rocket that way, as it was to fly to the Moon or Mars. Now that both are common, sci fi based on those ideas won't tickle much of your inner-child brain.
Man living on Mars stories aren't that different than dealing with living in the desert. Only add radiation, a lack of breathable air, and REALLY slow Internet. And we know there aren't civilizations of little green men living there, so that's out of the picture, too.
Even stories of living on the USS Enterprise aren't so far fetched anymore. We've had several space stations already, and a couple of new ones going up right now. They only don't travel so far.
You definitely need to aim for far more simplicity when looking for something that would allow you to think in a more childlike manner again.