Steal My Ideas, Please

One of J.K. Rowling’s geniuses is her gift for invention. Not real inventions, but ordinary things that become magical with a little wishful / twistful thinking. Hats that evaluate one’s brain. Portraits that move. Jelly beans that come in every flavor, even dirt. Brooms that fly, of course. It’s a child’s kind of imagining, and a very powerful exercise. Let’s try it. What can ordinary things become with a bit of magic? A fridge that shows you what you’re really hungry for. A pen that writes in midair, following visualized commands. A chemical test for tears that can read a person’s mind. A fingernail stick-on that lets anyone play piano or type like the whirlwind. Smart soap bubbles that can stick to a car and lift it. A candy with a camera that, just for fun, shows your insides on a computer. Eyeglasses that let you see through walls. Ear extensions that let you hear a whisper a mile away. An unglue that makes anything rubbery for a minute or two — even your limbs so you can slip through the narrowest space. Pointless ramblings? Perhaps. But sometimes, like magic, the strangest thoughts can stick to saner ones and create something valuable.