Playtime
Creative adults are constantly trying to think like kids. We are always searching for that childlike sense of wonder; that fearless, playful way of creating that came so easily to us in our early years but, as time goes on, feels more and more difficult to recapture.
One of the best techniques for reconnecting with this youthful, instinctive way of creating is by making time for play. If you make silly, carefree play a priority, the benefits go way beyond aesthetics.
Different kinds of play
Different kinds of play suit different kinds of people.
For example, my friend and flatmate, Lauren Jefferis, recently wrote a wonderful blog post on the topic of play, in which she mentions how jigsaw puzzles help soothe her mind. Living with her for the past two years, I have seen how calming and addictive jigsaws are to Lauren. They do not have the same effect on me; I find jigsaws to be an incredibly frustrating and altogether pointless activity.
Similarly, at Birmingham Design Festival 2024, I remember attending a pop-up printing workshop. The activity was simple: you were given a little booklet, some stamps and ink pads, and all you had to do was play around with them. The sole objective was to have fun, but as soon as I sat down, my mind went into overdrive thinking about which stamp should go where, and I instantly regretted each inky mark I made. The activity did not soothe me; it made me sweat.
Those forms of play were not suited to me, but these ones are:
Collage
My favourite kind of play. Collage is slow, orderly and controlled. Making new images out of little cut-up pieces of paper makes me feel happy and calm. Plus, it challenges me to break out of my geometric perfectionist box because I don’t have the steady hand or patience required to cut out shapes with perfect, clean edges.
Drawing
I’m not talking about realistic, painstakingly detailed drawing (that bores me, maybe because it reminds me of studying Art & Design at school). I’m talking about the kind of fast, sketchy drawing where you look only at the subject and not at the paper. The results are minimalist, expressive, unpredictable and super silly.
Painting
You might not expect me to enjoy painting because it has an element of mess to it, but I do. I tried pottery painting while on a date last year, and it reminded me of how much I love it. I no longer see the guy I went with, but I still love the bowl I painted. I went along with a Pinterest board full of inspiration and a clear idea of what I wanted to make. My date had neither. Perhaps that’s why we didn’t work out.
A common thread which runs through my favourite forms of play is: they all allow me to create the kind of minimalist, shape-filled imagery I enjoy while also challenging me to try something new. Working with paintbrushes and pens, rather than the pixels I am used to, forces me to get a little messier and a whole lot more playful
Play is good for you
Research by the National Institute for Play shows that engaging with playful activities triggers the release of chemicals like dopamine, which make us feel good and help to reduce stress levels. This is why they champion play as a lifelong necessity. My brain has most definitely benefited from making time for play.
Earlier this year, I took part in a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I signed up for a series of free sessions from Birmingham Health Minds because my mental health had taken a dip, and I wanted to learn some practical techniques to help gain better control of my brain when it starts running wild.
My therapist introduced me to what are known as grounding techniques: exercises used to help manage overwhelming negative thoughts and refocus attention on the present moment. While learning about these exercises (which included the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique), I realised I already knew some grounding techniques.
Creative play grounds me. When I am collaging, working out which composition looks best is all that’s on my mind; when I am drawing, I’m too busy focusing my eyes on the subject to think of anything else; when I am painting, trying to get the neatest lines humanly possible using a brush takes all of my concentration. Play makes me live in the moment, and the moment is a very fun place to be.