Play
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Upbeat Times.
A very rainy day in Bristol. (EXIF data iPhone image)
Well I feel like I’ve been pretty serious lately with my posts and now that the grey fog has lifted (see this post if you missed it) it’s good to have more uplifting fun topics to talk about. I’ve been doing a deep dive into the book Play by Stuart Brown and it seems to be very timely as I’m in the middle of a great break which includes time with an old friend, a writing retreat and time with a photography friend - there is a lot of play involved in this trip with very little seriousness at all! Who doesn’t love a good rainy November in Wales?
I find that I can get caught up in a very serious cycle where my sense of humour seems to have gone for a walkabout. The best thing for me to do at these times is take a break and find something to have a good belly laugh about then start to focus on having fun - in other words a good session of play does the trick.
Lately Kory and I have been purposely spending time doing silly things such as early morning dancing in the kitchen as we make breakfast or playing board games in the evening. We’ve also been sharing really stinky bad dad jokes (like why did the lion quick playing poker - cause he was always playing with a cheetah). It’s amazing to me how quickly making this change can positively affect mindset and thought processes. Effectively lightening up the atmosphere and making things so much easier and enjoyable.
Reconnecting With Play
From the reading I’ve been doing, it is apparent that there is a pattern to our evolution of play. Humans are quick, intuitive and free with experimenting with play as children. There is no lack of imagination or freedom to try and even fail at things when we’re young. Some time around age 7 or 8 things seem to change - suddenly there are rules about everything. Colour drawings with realistic choices - horses can’t be blue anymore, but skies always should be. Colour within the lines. Follow the rules of the game and play to win. More and more we start to inhibit that sense of freedom around play until we become quite self conscious about being serious and not failing.
The sense of curiosity and willingness to try new things begins to narrow until we seem to totally lose that playful gene. One of the many things that I’ve come to enjoy and cherish about retirement is my openness and drive to find play in my life again. It started with me wanting to reconnect with my creative self (something I thought that I no longer had a skill or aptitude for) when I picked up a camera again about 15 years ago.
Shoe laces mimicking the tile work pattern. (EXIF data iPhone image)
I found that I delighted in finding subjects and trying new settings to master the capabilities of my camera to capture what I saw in my mind on the memory card. There were so many times that I messed up with the settings, but because I didn’t put any heavy expectations on myself to deliver perfect results - I was open to learning and experimenting. As a result I found myself having fun and trying even more creative things with my camera.
This continued to expand into other areas such as strength training, morning dancing, playing board games and other activities that were all about expressing myself and having fun - i.e., there was no real purpose to them. I think that is a key part of play - an activity done for the sheer pleasure of it rather than any specific goal or outcome.
Playing at Being a Tourist
This week in the Bristol area is all about play. I have met up with a good friend from my time working in Scotland and I’m so pleased that we didn’t spend a lot of time planning activities for the week - we decided to let things unfold as they would. This was probably an especially good plan as the strong winds and rainy weather from Storm Austen quickly followed by Storm Boleo is hitting the UK this weekend. Having flexibility in what we do has made it easy to pivot to indoor activities when it is chucking down with rain outside. It’s also helped to not have expectations about the weather or activities - it’s a very playful approach which has not been disappointing.
We can enjoy our work. We can have fun. We can discover how to find as much joy as we do when involved in any project, as much joy as we did when we were kids making paper airplanes and flying them from the roof. When we lack that feeling of lightness in what we do it should be taken as a warning sign. - (Stuart Brown - Play).
Having fun in an upside-down room in Bristol. (EXIF data iPhone image)
The morning has been filled with a good wander around older parts of the Bristol city centre and visits to historical churches as well as some delightful time in the aquarium when it became too rainy for walking outside. We also made an inpromptu visit to an upside-down house which resulted in gales of laughter and a touch of wonky head (the uneven floors and upside-down furniture made me feel a bit dizzy).
This morning of play filled me with such joy and lightness with no expectation of creating anything purposeful or productive. Sometimes giving in to the childlike curiosity and wonder of a new location and even playing tourist (especially in your own hometown) can work wonders for elevating your mood and greasing the creative wheels.
Photography
I made a conscious decision to not bring my camera with me today, so that I didn’t get it soaked, but also so that I was more free to capture what caught my eye with my phone. I found myself inspired and focused on so much around me. Lines, shapes and patterns seemed to pop out at me with Ideas and images quickly filling my mind and phone memory card.
I really enjoy getting into flow like this with no expectation of creating amazing images, but more focusing on capturing what catches my eye and getting curious about how to best express that with my camera.
Slow shutter speed ICM image of a cathedral ceiling. (EXIF data iPhone image using slow shutter speed app)
A trip to the cathedral with its gothic arches and intricate stonework wasn’t coming together very well as “straight” documentary images, so I tried a little slow shutter speed and ICM (intentional camera movement) which really captured the way the lofty arches made me feel as I looked up at them.
I appreciate not putting any pressure on myself to create specific images as this freedom has unlocked a playful approach to my photography. The lack of enthusiasm I have been feeling recently around photography seems to have lifted and been replaced with a different level of interest. I feel like I’m more considered in my approach and focused on capturing how I’m feeling rather than any particular subject.
Playful Fun Unlocks Creativity
I have been enjoying this newfound joy around making activities (even boring household chores like washing dishes) more light and playful. The added benefit of a lighter mood is that my mind is filled with new creative ideas which transfers well to my photography. Here’s to more play and more creative images.
How do you inject playfulness into your days? I’d love to read about it in the comments below or drop me a note directly by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
Inside the Bristol Cathedral on a rainy afternoon. (EXIF data iPhone image)
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
