“I seem to play a lot more as I get older,” said one person. “Certainly I find life more joyful. I am also less judgemental - which frees me up to be more creative. I do a lot of painting. Previously my style was quite conservative, but it has become lighter and more liberated over the years.”

“There is nothing more serious than play,” we are told. Certainly this is how we learn during the early years. We become absorbed in an activity, explore and discover the world. Creative people retain this quality throughout their lives. Let’s consider how to make this happen.

1) You can clarify where you enjoy a sense of play.

When do you enjoy a sense of play? You may be designing, fixing cars, being with children, teaching, gardening, building, creating or whatever. Laughter is good for the soul – and it is often present during play. If not laughter, then perhaps curiosity, the joy of finding patterns in life. Play can help us to see things from another angle, which leads to a sense of wonder. Where does this happen for you? Start by brainstorming the activities in which you experience a sense of play, then focus on one specific situation. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific situation in which I enjoy a sense of play is:

*

2) You can clarify what you are doing when you enjoy a sense of play.

“During my 30s I became rather earnest and perhaps a bit boring,” explained one man. “Work was all-consuming and things weren’t going well at home. My partner told me to ‘lighten-up’, so I returned to playing music. During my youth I performed in a rock band, but then gave-up. So I bought a piano and began writing songs. I’ve also recorded some for my own amusement. I will never make a hit record, but music has enriched my life. Now I follow Mark Twain’s motto of: ‘Dance like nobody’s watching; love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening; live like it’s heaven on earth.’ My partner also says that I am more fun.”

What happens for you when you play? You may follow your passion, relax, explore, settle on a goal, try many ideas, not worry about being judged, concentrate fully, use your imagination, finish something you are proud of or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I do right when I play are:

*

*

*

3) You can enjoy a sense of play more in the future.

“My ‘play’ consists of renovating old Saab cars,” said one person. “Yes, I know Colin Powell had a similar hobby - but he fixed Volvos! I know it sounds sad, but I love to go into the garage and fix things for myself. My day job consists of making tough decisions, so sometimes it’s good to turn-off. I like to mess around without anybody looking over your shoulder. It’s also good to see an end result. My next project is to renovate a 1950 Saab. That will be a real experience.”

How can you plan some time for play? You may want to set aside time to do gardening, inventing, writing, mountaineering, creative problem-solving or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to enjoy
a sense of play more in the future are:

*

*

*

Play helps people to ‘forget themselves’. They emerge feeling refreshed, creative and more able to do great work. They may also do some ‘slow thinking’ and see things into perspective. As we said at the beginning, sometimes there is nothing more serious than play.

Bookmark It