Without imagination, they are nothing but dry words on a page. It's fairly simple. Of course it takes practice. Imagination can take the commonplace and create something very uncommon out of it. It can encourage the reader to look at things a new way, or to look beyond the here and now, or from a point of view quite alien to her.
Imagination finds the greater meaning in the day to day.
It can set you and your reader free. Living there you'll be free, if you truly wish to be. Experience, observation, and imagination are three important skills in a writer's repertoire. Begin with experience, observe your topic or characters closely, and use imagination to bring out the meaning. Use them as a way to organize your thoughts, or as a quick outline.