Play is something that we all need, no matter our age. Studies have shown that play is just as important for adults as it is for children. Not only does it help relieve stress and anxiety, but it can also help to foster creativity and mindfulness. There is an article here that talks about the importance of play for adults. It is suggested that play can help us in lots of ways, including:
Relieving stress (as I already mentioned).
Improving brain function.
Stimulating the mind and boosting creativity.
Improving relationships and your connection to others.
Keep you feeling young and energetic.
Play helps develop and improve social skills.
Play teaches cooperation with others.
Play can heal emotional wounds.
I think that one of the best ways to incorporate play into your life is through art and creating. Watercolour painting, art journaling, and other creative activities can help to reduce stress and boost your creative juices. Watercolour painting in particular is a great way to relax and express yourself. It’s also relatively easy to learn, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on supplies. Art journaling is another great way to reduce stress, as it allows you to explore and express your thoughts on paper. Play in art is also a great way to learn about a medium. Sometimes the things we discover ourselves and experience seem to stick with us more memorably than simply being told or reading about them.
These are some images from my phone, showing examples of play. These all explore the circle in some way and many are mindful moments or include exercises based on mindul moments. (Mindful Moments are short, fun lessons that I use as a fundamental part of my own practice and that which I share out there in the bbig wild world.)
Here is the very first Mindful Moment video I made. There is a series of five on YouTube and we are currently using these video as our weekly inspiration in my supper supportive (and free) Facebook group.
I think that the blank page is a great place to play, especially as an artist who uses mixed media (and loves glazing). If I had to pick one technique it would probably be wet in wet for watery media. Wet in wet is playful, sometimes uncontrolable and engaging to observe.
When you are painting wet in wet you are adding wet paint to wet paper. I find this is a fabulous mindful exercise. We can be present with the paint and what is happening and we can be curious about a great number of things. things like:
How much water?
How much paint?
How long to wait before adding more?
What if the paper is drippy or shiny or damp?
What brush to use?
Where to put the colour?
What colour to use where?
And all of this is before we even begin to add in things like salt or clingfilm, bubble wrap or rice, and bleach or alcohol and granulating spray or water-so many fun things to play with!
We have such a choice of curiosities to follow and each choice leads to a change, a development in what is happening on our page. Each development provides an opportunity to practise being discerning and not judgemental. We get to gather information on what we like, what we don’t like and how we can move in the direction of what we like. You can see that mindfulness becomes an aspect of play, by engaging with the core principles of a mindful approach whilst playing.
Playing like this also enables us to explore without an end product or goal in mind, beyond experiencing the technique. When we play we not only get all of the benefits of play but also have a huge range if information and experience which can inform future pieces of art and helps us gain more skill with the media we are working with.
I was reading around ideas and articles about play and adults and found an interesting definition of play from Yesim Kunter: “Being happy, relaxed, free, feeling like time is flowing, not constantly checking your watch — those things signify that you are in play mode.”
This made me think of flow states and that feeling of flow.
Another important consideration is that play is something that is intrinsically motivated, we are not forced or cajoled into doing it. We do it because we want to-so creating, painting, art is play for me. The other key idea is that it is something that is recreational, and done for enjoyment, entertainment and just because it is fun.
There are eight different play personalities. Each of these play personalities has its own unique way of playing and have different motivations for doing so. For example, the builder might be motivated by the desire to create something tangible and take pleasure in the process of building something from scratch. The artist might be motivated by the need to express emotions and feelings through creative outlets such as painting or drawing. The competitor might be motivated by the desire to compete and win in challenge
I found it interesting to take each of the play personalities and think about how they show up for me in my life.
The Collector: You enjoy building collections. I love to collect photos of nature, sticks, feathers, art supplies, skies…
The Competitor: You enjoy playing (and winning) games with specific rules. I love a good board game!
The Creator or Artist: You find joy in making things, or making things work. Yup, mostly visual media but cooking, gardening, making wire and bead trees, playing the piano all fall within this for me.
The Director: You enjoy planning and directing. I mean, I love planning new classes and lessons…
The Explorer: You play by discovering something new, either physically (a new place) or mentally. I enjoy learning new things I’m not sure how playful this feels for me but it is enjoyable.I also like finding new, unseen things in nature and looking at things with new eyes and discovering new things in this way.
The Joker: You enjoy being silly and foolish. I often think I am a bit too serious, so this feels less like me.
The Kinesthete: You enjoy moving your body as play. I find exercise positive when I do it, it isn’t necessarily playful though.
The Storyteller: You play by listening to or creating stories. I used to write poetry and wanted to write my own children’s book once upon a time. I do enjoy listening to stories and I like to make up names and descriptions for imaginary creatures…I wonder if binge watching TV shows counts.
I think it is important to find ways to incorporate play into your daily life. This might mean scheduling time for creative activities or taking a break from work to do something fun. It can also mean taking a few minutes to practice mindfulness or engaging in a competitive activity. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it is something that makes you feel excited and relaxed. Remember, play is just as important for adults as it is for children. Incorporating play, mindfulness, and creativity into your life can help to reduce stress and foster creativity.
Comments