Play Powers Creativity

In the society we live in, it can be tempting to take things oh-so-seriously. I mean, that’s what the news media (and the advertising embedded within it) is all about. It’s jam-packed with fear, things going wrong, and how to plan for the worst case scenario. It’s based on doing The Right Thing and following the herd.

How very boring!

Those of us who are more playful by nature – you know, the artists, rebels, and black sheep – don’t fit into the mainstream notion of what it means to be a responsible adult. You know this. You’ve probably struggled with it to varying degrees throughout your life – wondering why you’re just not satisfied with what’s considered “normal.”

Your wild ideas, crazy daydreams, and deep longings constantly beckon you forth. You lose your keys, forget to put gas in the car – but you just had to stop and get that picture of the clouds that looked like a herd of centaurs! You often stop and smell the roses – literally – whether or not you’re on time for that appointment.

Nope, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re attuned to one of the most powerful forces in the Universe: creativity.

And you know what powers the creative spirit? Play.

Play is how human beings learn, at the very beginning of life when we’re exploring the world. Babies never have formal lessons in crawling, walking, or laughing. They explore and discover, through playing, how they can best navigate the landscape. As we grow, we often forget this.

Adults in our culture don’t play enough. Even our leisure time is taken quite seriously, and scheduled to death. When we do get to play, or “party,” we’re supposed to “need” alcohol or drugs to loosen up enough to dance or get silly. That’s so ridiculous! I mean, I suppose it’s better than no play at all.

But imagine if we freed ourselves enough to incorporate regular play time into our daily lives. It would certainly make us less stressed, and we could enjoy each day instead of living for the weekend.

So rather than chastising yourself for your impulse to be silly and follow where your imagination leads you, embrace it! Allow playfulness to seep into all aspects of your life.

Quester, BlackLion, and I recently went grocery shopping with a friend of a friend, who hates to go and stock up on food and other necessities. As we usually do, we goofed around as we shopped – putting weird items in each others’ carts, making puns, smiling at other shoppers. Our new friend found that she actually had a good time!

You can bring your playfulness with you wherever you go. If serious adults give you a frown or the stink-eye, so what? You know you’re having a lot more fun than they are in that moment. And your playfulness if most likely inspiring a lot more folks than you know!

Play powers your creativity, and makes for a much more fulfilling life experience. In the big picture, taking time to be joyful will make you more productive and centered. Goodness knows we need more of this energy in our go-go-go society. Be a play ambassador!