The Art of Play – When Was the Last Time You Let Yourself Play?

Think back and ask yourself – “When was the last time you let yourself play? ”  If you are anything like me your “free” time when you are done working consists of doing chores around the house and everything else gets pushed aside.  My inner dialogue tends to sound like this “when I get to the end of my to-do list, then I will give myself time to play”.

This really should be changed to an If-Then statement – IF I ever get my to-do list completed (#never), THEN I can play.   And by play, I mean anything of a creative nature that makes your heart sing a little.  This idea of putting fun off until never, sounds backwards and unfair, doesn’t it?  If we are to have any life in this life of ours, we need to leave plenty of time for play.

Why Play is Important

Play is what makes everything else seem worthwhile.  When we are kids, we do this instinctively.  Kids work hard at having fun when given the opportunity.  And, in the process of doing this, they get so immersed in what they are doing they lose all track of time and experience flow.

As adults, we may get to experience flow in our work lives if we are really lucky.  But, it is also important to find a creative pursuit or hobby that gives us this beneficial flow feeling during our time off.  For more on the concept of flow, see Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi’s Ted Talk here.

Right now, my daughters are hard at play making a wheel of fashion.  What they land on, they have to try to find an outfit to fit that description.  They came up with the idea, found the cardboard, paint, etc. and have been happily engaged in doing this for over an hour.

My problem is when I do have spare time, I often have a hard time thinking of fun things I could do.  I have made plenty of lists and jars of ideas of fun things my kids could do over the years, now it is time to create a jar of my own.  And, then I need to schedule time for play on a consistent basis.

Ideas for Play as Adults:

• Writing
• Scrapbooking
• Magazine – Collages
• Coloring books for adults
• Creative apps for your phone
• Puzzles
• Card games
• Painting a canvas
• Painting pots/ceramics
• Sewing
• Crafts – jewelry making, etc.
• Knitting

Another great source for inspiration is an author and artist named SARK.  Check out her books either through this link or at your local library.

What is your favorite way to let yourself play?  I’ve shared some ideas in previous posts for ways to have fun.  I would love it if you would share your ideas with the rest of us in the comments below.  I hope you schedule some time for yourself soon!

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