Finding Purpose in Play: How Imagination Became My Superpower

Halloween has always been one of my favorite times of the year (if not my very favorite).

The candy (of course), the costumes, and the vibes.

Since I was little, one of my favorite pastimes has been playing make-believe.

This physical world has never quite felt like enough for me.

I love to fantasize. I love using my imagination.

It’s something children do seamlessly. Then, at a certain point, we adults set this skill aside to pursue more ‘practical’ endeavors.

Of course, we need to put food on the table.

That said, my desire to fantasize and make-believe has never left me. It’s only grown.

This has been at the heart of my career path.

I am an actor, a musician, and a writer.

I’m an artist—sorry, Mom and Dad.

]All joking aside: my parents have been beyond supportive.

Not only do they encourage me to follow my dreams, they actually believe in me.

This artist’s journey has been a rollercoaster ride.

It’s had many phases—one of which is that I’ve become a husband and father of two.

The stakes have risen.

It’s not just me doing me.

I’m largely responsible for the well-being of three people—two children and an adult—who look to me for survival.

But let’s zoom out even further.

There was a point when I had to ask myself WHY.

WHY am I doing this? Why have I chosen this path?

Is it pure ego?

What is this seemingly silly endeavor?

Is it strange for a grown man to spend his waking hours playing make-believe?

To answer that question, I had to define what ‘playing make-believe’ means to me.

And it brought me to this: EMPATHY.

To me, EMPATHY is the ultimate superpower of human beings.

It’s the ability to put myself in others’ shoes. WOW.

As humans, we literally have the capacity to use our minds to travel anywhere we like.

THIS is what I’ve known I wanted to do since I was an embryo.

The combination of empathy and imagination, when practiced and used for good, leads to limitless potential.

And it is to this that I have dedicated my life.

Does one need to become a lifelong actor, musician, or artist to practice empathy?

Absofreakinglutely not.

We can all do it.

But here’s what anyone can do on a daily basis:

Ask yourself these questions in any situation:

Did I open my heart or close it?
Before judging, did I imagine myself in the other person’s shoes?
Am I listening? Truly listening?

Simple questions. But ones I ask myself all the time. And I’m often surprised by the answers. They always help me.

As I write this, tomorrow night is Halloween. I can’t wait to see my kids’ excitement as they get into their costumes and gear up for trick-or-treating.

I’m gonna dress up too. The cool thing: I dress up for a living. But it’s always a little different, and probably even more special when I get to do it with my little ones…

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Ari Welkom, known on stage as Avatari, is an LA-based alt-rock singer and actor. A Harvard graduate, married father of two, and former college athlete, he practices martial arts and champions anti-bullying, equal rights, and unity on his journey of recovery. Follow him on Instagram or Twitter (X)!

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