Is Playing Just For Kids?

Did you know that play is as important as eating, sleeping and exercising?  Play isn’t just important for children, but also for adults?  Have we forgot how to play or have we put playing low on the priority list?

In order for it to be considered play, the activity can be for no other reason than enjoyment.

I heard that the opposite of play was depression.  Suppressing daily play is not healthy for adults or children.

Do you get embarrassed to play?  Do you feel that people may not take you seriously if you play?  When hula-hoops were in fashion, adults as well as children loved them. One day, I found my father hula-hooping in the garage, change rattling in the pockets swaying back and forth.  For a moment I saw him forget all his worries, until he found a couple of older woman pointing at him, smiling and laughing.  He was furious, took the hula-hoop and threw it on the ground and ran in the house. 

My inner child cries out often, finding a need to paint for no other reason than to play.  This shows up in my use of mediums, tools or subject matter.  I always end up discovering something new and enlightening when this happens.

Playing helps exploration, discover creative solutions, and problem solving.  It can be transformative to self and situations. 

Ideally, it would be great to incorporate play with your everyday life.  How could you introduce play in your work environment and perhaps get a better job done?

This is my thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth painting of my #paint52 challenge, both paintings Atelier Interactive Acrylic on vellum.  “Snowballs in Summer” measures 9-1/2″ X 8″, price $200.00 (SOLD)  and “Garden at Beltane Ranch” measures 8″ X 8″, price $175.00. (SOLD)

*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA.   You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237.  Thank you!