Friday, February 5, 2010

Learning to Play

12:42 PM

Our society has forced us to become so incredibly serious all the time. Once we're in school, we have to get the good grades and be on the honor roll. Then in high school, we must work to get the good grades to go to college. In college, we have to work to get ahead, because only those who get ahead get the good jobs, right? Once out of college and into the workforce, we have to work really hard to get a higher salary and the promotion. Then we have succeeded. Does anybody else see something wrong with this picture? It doesn't seem like that isn't what life should be like.

I'm not trying to say that working is wrong. "Work" is necessary for society to run. However, what I'm trying to say there seems to be something missing amongst all of this. We as a society has forgotten how to play.

One of the most valuable lessons we could ever (re)learn is how to play. It is were creativity can be nurtured. When you play there is no wrong and there is no right. One is doing whatever they are doing for the sake of doing it. It provides a sense of enjoyment. The beautiful thing about it is this, when one can truly learn to play is when one can progress. For instance, Children love to run. They run everywhere. They use it a way to play and as they continue to play. They become faster, stronger, and better than they were before. Learning to play is a skill that is practically essentially, but it will never work if the heart is at its core.

In order to really learn how to play, one has to find what they love to do. Then, playing will come naturally. You will never want to stop. I recently fell in love with Photoshop and I cannot stop creating different designs. I've gotten so much better in the past year. However, I would not be continually designing if I didn't love it.

Find something you love, and play.