Dec 20th 1-2-3: Play Not Work
1: Play Not Work ( 1 minute read )
My hard drive died, and with it digital drawings that I both do and do not remember vanished.
It is an interesting thing, to have all of that ripped away rather unceremoniously. All of the toil and results of the work I put in. And then I remember the time spent creating.
Was it all work, or play?
It is all to easy to focus on the end results in such a productivity-minded world.
Life is about output! How much can you make? How much mileage can you get out of whatever skill you are trying to improve on.
That seems all so tiresome.
Recently I have been thinking about why I got into all of this in the first place. It is because when I was a child, this was what I did for fun. This was fun!
I am grateful that even though the drawings may be lost, the memory of play has not.
I mention all of this because recently I have found myself guilty of the frustrating mentality of self-improvement. I am not saying growing is bad, though if that is the focus it can detract from the process.
Always process first, the end goals give us the journey.
Last week, when I was busy going through the steps of sharpening my pencil, laying out reference, and studying form, I realized I was feeling put off by drawing. When did it become so laborious? I made it that, because I kept calling it work.
So I decided to play instead, to choose a different medium and draw something that wasn’t a study.
That freed up my mind and hand, and made it play again. Then I was able to study with enjoyment and focus for longer than my last week’s sessions.
Play over work.
I just want to remind you that this was all for fun, and that you were in this for enjoyment. Keep improving and practicing, and never stop playing.
A week ago, my hard drive dying on me might have bothered me a lot more, but today I just felt gratitude to have had the experience.
Go and create something today, and have fun doing it. And for goodness’ sake, back up your files!
2: Creative Prompts From Us (ex. Write a short story, a poem, a song, or draw a quick illustration of these! Let your imagination run free.)
I. What are you working at that you once played at? What can you do to make it play again?
II. Do you typically use a computer or digital device to create? Try using an analog medium instead and see how that makes it feel more playful!
3: Inspirational Quotes From Others
I. “Play is the highest form of research.”
– Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
II. “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”
– Plato, Philosopher
III. “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.”
– Carl Jung, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist
Thank you so much for reading!