‘You discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of
conversation.’ Plato.
Over the summer I read a book called ‘Wired to Create’. This is an
exploration of the idea that as humans we are all creative and that there are
ways of helping us access that creativity in our lives. I was very surprised to
find the quotation from Plato as a starting point for creativity and that
playing had its own chapter in the book.
As a reader I was encouraged
to think back to childhood games where my imagination was free and there were
no boundaries in exploration. At my primary school we were very privileged to
have an area of woodland where we could go during break-times. I can remember
whiling away many hours creating dens, collecting conkers and variations of
hide & seek. It seems odd to think of playing as an adult, although in my
family it is a common occurrence to take part in board games. Growing up we had
a family ritual of playing board games after Sunday lunch. My dad and brother
continue to enjoy strategy board games and regularly host game nights in their
homes.
More recently, I have
experienced the joy of discovering and participating in the play-times of a
nearly three-year-old. His excitement at chase in the park, hide & seek,
making various vehicles go through tunnels or over ramps is infectious. Even
mundane and everyday tasks become events to be celebrated. At a recent visit
(during toilet-training) he rushed in beaming, to declare ‘I’ve done a wee in
the toilet!’ Whilst I am not suggesting we should adopt this response to our
own bodily functions there is I think something to be gained by trying to see
activities in our lives in a more playful state of mind.
Sadly our culture values
busyness, results and meeting targets - play cannot co-exist in these kinds of
parameters. Yet psychologists are saying that playing has a positive impact in
our lives; in our relationships it unlocks openness and intimacy. Play can heal
hurts and resentments and it builds trust and intimacy. It also has huge
benefits for creativity as play allows for an openness to new things, problem
solving and it’s fun! I think there are barriers to being playful; we may fear embarrassment
or ridicule. Some people may even think that the idea of adults playing is
childish but a child at play is one who is creating, inventing and learning –
who doesn’t want that?
As part of my preparation
for writing this I listened to the TED talk of Dr Stuart Brown (no relation). I
would recommend it, here is the link:
He ends his talk by
encouraging people not just to set aside time for play but to lead more playful
lives so that playing actually becomes incorporated into everyday activities.
As he was saying this I was thinking back to my earlier post ‘A balancing act?’
and found myself wondering if play is the answer to creating that sense of
balance. It has also caused me to question what a playful life looks like and
how can I become a Player of Life rather than fighting or fumbling my way
through it.
As the weekend approaches I
plan to think more on this, but more than that I intend to find time to play!
Become a Player – go on, try it!
Hi Suzi, thank you, I really enjoyed reading this post and thinking about play, and followed your link to the TED talk.
ReplyDeleteIt's another great subject, and my first reaction was to nod and agree and think "that's why I love sport, sport is play". But in an earlier reply, I thought of the Olympians who are pursuing gold medals - are they playing in the sense of being playful? Is professional sport playfulness? Actually, I think it depends on the individual player.
This is Andy Murray's explanation of being a top professional tennis player: "You may have noticed I work in a pretty emotional job. Whether I’m winning or losing there’s a huge amount going on under the surface. The pressure is always there and quite honestly, at times it’s hard to hide."
http://www.andymurray.com/feature/huffington-post-guest-editor/
Andy Murray may not be a playful player, but other players are able to be playful whilst playing on the same court. Whether that is a cultural or personal difference is another interesting question. Being playful is the sense of enjoyment in what you are doing. I'd say it probably requires mental capacity in the same way as being able to flourish does.
Following your lead and linking it back to your earlier post about balance, I think you are right that if you can find your own balance, you can flourish and find your sense of play, but I think that they are all aspects of the same thing. This post has made me realise how unqiue and fragile we all are.
Thanks again for your brilliant blog, I am a big fan.
Thanks for your comment and encouragement. Sport is an interesting one because it can be so goal orientated - especially if it is your job.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a wonderful coincidence that since writing the blog last week, we picked up our new kitten on Sunday - so was immediately able to put some playfulness into action!!