Play Time
Play- engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
(Oxford)
In the middle of a recent songwriting week, I had a dream. A mentor advised me to take the next week off work and upon waking, I decided to do exactly that. My mind had been overactive and I had a lot of work coming up. I remembered that when it feels counterintuitive to have time off, is when it’s most needed.
I planned for a week of pleasurable activities, knowing I’d need some structure to avoid spending the entire week peering into my phone, my favourite procrastination tool. I booked a massage, organised a day out to the art gallery and state library, baked some banana bread and went on a bushwalk.
But it was the spontaneous moments that felt the most playful. A pot of tea whilst reading Joan Didion in the sun on the lawn. A long walk along the beach, collecting shells and gently singing. An unexpected whale sighting, as I sat at a café on a cold, wet morning, overlooking the ocean at Copacabana.
Life slowed down. There was a natural rhythm as I allowed the day to unfold without expectations.
In the space, I expected my work to badger me like an impatient child but to my surprise, it was happy to be set aside. Instead I was met with some confronting realisations, things I can’t even remember now to recount. They arose, were met with my observation and spoken through with friends. By having more space to process life’s challenges, they dissipated as quickly as they appeared, rather than leaking through in subconscious ways when suppressed through all the doing.
Returning to work last week, I promised to bring more space for play into the every day. I already live a pleasure filled life, but I still feel a lot of guilt and pressure to be productive. Fun and enjoyment is often pushed aside for the “shoulds”. A friend made a radical suggestion; what if my work days were scheduled around play instead of work? I had two days of low motivation last week and I found that prioritising pleasure gave me the nourishment I needed to later show up for some work. Instead of working from a place of obligation, I was choosing to be there when the time felt right.
Play and pleasure often feels uncomfortable and rebellious, but it’s here that my life becomes a magical place of opportunity. The seriousness around things melts into inspiration and life feels lighter and more satisfying.
Today I chat with my close friend Wayne Forbes, a primary school teacher and aspiring author/illustrator. We talk about the rich, creative lives of children, and how we often lose touch with our innate creativity and sense of play as we get older.