The Road To Creativity: Playtime

“Where there is joy, there is creation. Know the nature of joy.” ― Chandogya Upanishad

I blogged last week about creativity and what creativity means. This week I’d like to explore how to spark your creative side by play. When we “bring forth something new,” we can study new angles and follow a flow that we had not discovered before. In the playful state, there is no disapproval of what we find or where we go.

One of the ways we can switch to the discovery mode is to play.  We can call upon our childlike self to play – to be free and carefree. To be more playful, don’t take yourself too seriously. It is important to let go of your resistance to all the barriers you think are there. Playing allows each of us to take risks, be in the moment, be curious, and exercise our imaginative spirit.

As you play, you can explore what you are experiencing through your senses. You are allowed to manipulate your world at random, combining what you discover with things known, thus creating something that didn’t exist before. Trial and error is an integral part of playing to create, so be prepared to keep trying until you find a path you want to take.

Here are some ways to spark your creative self:

• Meditating puts you into a state of relaxation and allows your mind to rid itself of clutter.
• Listening to music can either be relaxing or can excite your memories to explore and combine interesting trains of thought.
• Doing creative activities such as coloring, play dough manipulation, painting, jewelry making, etc. These activities generate new physical sensations that can excite your creative juices.
• Playing with ‘silly toys’ such as wind-up toys, glitter sticks, spinning toys, – toys that make you smile. These types of toys allow your mind to be free to wander and wonder.
• Playing made-up games with children or animals. There is no expected outcome to the game. Thus you are free to explore many options.
• Doing exercise such as taking a walk, or running – especially while observing nature. There is no better place to explore all of your senses than in the great outdoors.
• Doing daily activities in a joyful manner such as washing dishes, or folding laundry; thus allowing your mind to swell and analyze questions as you do the familiar task.

Being creative is an experience that writers universally enjoy. Treat yourself to play as a way to spur your creativity.

What ways do you use play to spark your creativity? Comments are welcome.