"Ce qui est maintenant prouvé a d'abord été imaginé"

The idea here is pretty straightforward: everything that exists now, everything that's been proven or created, started as a mere thought or dream in someone’s mind. Think about it for a second. All the groundbreaking inventions, the radical changes in society, the art that takes your breath away—they all started as someone's idea.

So where did this notion come from? Well, it was the poet and visionary William Blake who first penned these words. Blake, living in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was surrounded by the rapid changes of the Industrial Revolution. He saw firsthand how imagination could fuel innovation. He wasn't just talking about physical inventions, either. He meant ideas, philosophies, and cultures too.

Let’s bring this to life with a real-world example. Picture the first time someone thought about flying. Long before the Wright brothers took off at Kitty Hawk, people dreamt of soaring through the skies. Leonardo da Vinci even sketched out early versions of flying machines back in the 15th century. Folks probably thought he was nuts! Fast forward to 1903, and Orville and Wilbur Wright proved the skeptics wrong with their first successful flight. They turned imagination into reality. And now, we don’t even think twice about hopping on a plane to travel halfway around the world. Wild, right?

So how can you take this wisdom and run with it? First off, don’t dismiss your wild ideas. The next time you’re daydreaming—whether it’s about a new business, a piece of art, or a novel technology—capture that thought. Write it down. Talk about it. Nurture it. Sure, some ideas might be impractical (or even impossible) right now, but don’t let that shut you down. Experiment and keep pushing the boundaries. Engage with people who can challenge and refine your ideas.

Imagine this: You're at a coffee shop with your friend, Sarah. She tells you about this crazy idea she has for an app that helps people learn new languages through virtual reality. Now, your first instinct might be to laugh or shrug it off. But think about Blake’s words. This app could be the next big thing in education. Encourage Sarah to explore the idea further. Maybe she starts small, creating a simple prototype or researching VR technology. Over time, with persistence and creativity, her imagination could reshape how we learn languages.

The point here is, don't underestimate the power of your imagination. We're often our own worst critics, dismissing our ideas before they even have a chance to grow. But remember, everything in existence—every skyscraper, every novel, every technological marvel—started as a mere thought. So, let your mind wander, dream big, and who knows? Maybe you’ll turn your imagination into the next big reality. And if you ever doubt yourself, just remember Blake’s wisdom: what’s proven today was once just someone’s wild imagination.