This coming Wednesday, we’ll be talking about Creativity and Play in the face of life’s challenges, large and small. Here are some quotes to get you thinking about the topic……
“You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self.” ~Richard Bach
“The Paleolithic hunters who painted the unsurpassed animal murals on the ceiling of the cave at Altamira had only rudimentary tools. Art is older than production for use, and play older than work. Man was shaped less by what he had to do than by what he did in playful moments. It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities.” ~Eric Hoffer
“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor.” ~Paul Hawken
These quotes are good mindfulness practice reminders and as a Spiritual Life Coach, I’m often encouraging clients to play more and relax for greater creativity.
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I just love the second quote. Art has certainly depended on our creative, playful, loose moments, but so has science. Those creative breakthroughs happen when you least expect them, when the scientist’s brain is open and free-thinking and following unexpected paths.
The teleconference gave me so much to think about. The main thing is that during the following day, I tried to introduce playfulness in little ways into my routine (home office makes it much easier!). I sang a little, skipped a little. It was beneficial in bringing mindfulness and yes! a little joy into the day. As adults, we really disconnect from mindfulness and spontaneity. If everyone just whistled, skipped, hummed –what a better place the world could be.
Helen,
I love what you said about skipping around the office! My father worked in computer programming in the 70s. His company was known for hiring MIT drop-outs – smart enough to get in and too creative (read: not good at following authority) to stay in (and therefore cheaper to pay!)
I remember the people who worked there – one rode his unicycle through the halls, one had a hammock in his office, several were magicians and jugglers and had scarves and juggling pins on their shelves, ready for impromptu fun.
Those guys (and women) were some of the most creative thinkers of their time, and they were well rewarded. The company grew quickly and most of the original players (workers?) retired early and comfortably. Bringing play and creativity into the workplace sure worked for them!
After the Mindful Life Community Conversation on Wednesday, and from some recent reading about the Tao, I realized how important it is to consider the Yin and the Yang of Play, the active and receptive aspects. So much of our lives are focused on the active. Do this. Make this happen. Produce something. True play involves both acting (giving) and receiving to be in balance. We do something to initiate play, and then we allow ourselves to be receptive to the pleasure , the ideas, the expansive feeling in the space of Being.
So play is not just one more thing on the “to do list”! Play belongs on the “to be list”. In order to be playful, we open, allow and receive. And sometimes, because we are not yet naturally allowing joy or Presence to flow in our life, we can begin with action. Set aside some time, arrange the setting, invite a friend, gather materials or props. Then, let the play begin! Step into receiving, see what happens, be in the moment. The shift in consciousness that occurs sparks the creative juices, something we can all use in these challenging times.
Here’s a great example of someone using their creativity and playfullness to ease the daily stressors in his life:
A crossing guard in Pennsylvania loves hats. He’s got all kinds of hats – a Cheesehead and a giant corn on the cob and a pharoah’s head-dress. There was recently a controversy in his town about whether his attention-getting attire was a traffic hazard. Comedy prevailed, and Mr. Douthwaie is once again allowed to wear his hats.
He says some interesting things about why he wears the hats and why he thinks it is valuable to his community – relieving stress, building relationships with the children who cross with him and even protecting his safety. You can listen to the 4-minute story at NPR’s website. Just cut and paste this link into your browser and enjoy!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101207742&ft=1&f=2