A friend asked: “What is play?”

I flippantly answered “Anything could be play,” and as soon as I said it, I knew that didn’t feel right. But I wasn’t sure what play is to me.

A few days later it dawned on me that what determines play isn’t the nature of the activity (e.g., flying a kite vs. doing my taxes).

Play is an attitude. It is the spirit that I bring to something.

Play is being fully in the moment, spontaneous, feeling free. Play is the spirit of adventure and discovery. Play is filled with curiosity.

The biggest “ah-ha” that this question generated for me was that the nature of the activity actually has nothing to do with whether it is play or not. It’s all about how I choose to come to it.

Case in point: a collage I did last night.

I did this collage using Eric Carle’s methodology. (More about the technique below.) I’ve been wanting to learn how he does his collages for years. He is one of my favorite artists.

When I did this collage, I found myself going in and out of ‘play mode,’ as I usually do with my art.

I have a choice about the attitude that I bring to my art, and that is what determines whether it is play or not. It also is what determines whether I’m available to the flow of inspiration.

If I let my art be about the result, it isn’t play. When I’m focused on the outcome, I’m out of the moment and not available to the spontaneous flow of inspiration that, for me, is a big part of play.

On the other hand, if I allow my art to be completely about the process of creating, it’s play. I feel my way through it. It’s like my hands are catching the inspirations and giving them expression. I know exactly which piece fits and which doesn’t. I know where to put the pieces. I know which piece is ‘next.’ I can feel it.

Which brings me to: “Why do I care?”

I care, deeply, because when I show up to life in the spirit of play, there is a life force, an energy, that flows through me, that is bliss, power, and joy. It is a flow of authentic, unique creativity expressing through me.

So, while I was making the collage, I found myself moving in and out of ‘play mode,’ in and out of the process of spontaneous creation that was moving through me. I could viscerally feel when I was out of it.

This collage was a great example of ‘play or not’ for me. I wanted so much to learn Eric Carle’s technique that I found myself caring about how it looked and whether I was doing it right. This is definitely out of ‘play mode.’

Paradoxically, when I brought myself back to the present and the process, into what I call ‘play mode’, my learning was enhanced and the results got better. It was because I let myself go and immersed myself purely in creative play, without regard to results or agenda.

I don’t really get all the distinctions I’m making here, and lest I get all cerebral and analytical about it, let me bottom line the ‘nugget’ for me in this question and my experience: I want to show up to life, as much as humanly possible, with a spirit of play.

It is in my spirit of play that I experience the flow of creative life energy, intuition and inspiration. In choosing a ‘play attitude,’ I am available to the unique, creative expression that is me.

About the fantastic and magnificent Eric Carle and his Collage Technique

Eric Carle is an artist and writer, of primarily children’s books. He is probably most famous for his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, although he has written or illustrated over 70 books.

He creates the raw material for his collages by painting on tissue paper. To create an illustration, he designs his collage, chooses the papers he wants from his collection, and puts the collage together.

There are two books that give some information about his technique:

The Art of Eric Carle

You Can Make a Collage: A Very Simple How-to Book by Eric Carle. This is a great Klutz book which is, unfortunately, out of print. There are limited copies available on the Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites, through used booksellers.

There is also some information about his technique on his website. Check his newsletter archive on the site.

This blog post is dedicated to Eric Carle, who is one of my biggest inspirations in the spirit of play.

Filed under: Being a Reinventer, Adventures of a Reinventer, Lynne's Reinvention Journey on February 17th, 2009