In Edition 89 of the newsletter, I introduced you to the six senses that Dan Pink predicts will increasingly guide and shape our lives.
To refresh your memory, the six senses that he details in his book “A whole new mind: why right brainers will rule the future” are:
Design
Story
Symphony
Empathy
Play
Meaning
This edition of my newsletter is focused on play.
If you asked me which of the six senses am I weakest at, it is undoubtedly play. I just don’t do it very well. Other than sports which is more exercise than play, I am way too serious. And that, as I’ve been finding out recently, can be detrimental to creativity, health and wealth.
“The opposite of play isn’t work. It’s depression. To play is to act out and be wilful, exultant and committed as if assured of one’s prospects.“ Brian Sutton-Smith professor of education (emeritus), University of Pennsylvania.
“Play would be to the 21st century what work was to the last 300 Years of industrial society - our dominant way of knowing, doing and creating value.” Pat Kane, author of The Play Ethic
Play has huge benefits - it helps us be more productive and more creative as well as healthier and happier.
Not convinced? Listen to Tim Brown (CEO of IDEO) and his brilliant TED talk Tales of Creativity and Play.
So what can you do to incorporate more play into your daily life?
Laugh more.
Join a laughter club (yes, they exist!). Go to a comedy show. Watch more standup comedy online. Spend more time with friends who make you laugh. Do whatever it takes to let you hair down.
Try captioning cartoons.
Take your favourite cartoon strip. The New Yorker is a favourite for many. Strip out the captions. Give it a go yourself. Here is a link to their archives.
Play more games.
Wordle. Soduku. Mega Games. Whatever floats your boat.
Over to you now:
How much time for play do you currently have in your daily life?
What might be some opportunities to incorporate more play?
Is there a friend of a family member who can become your partner in play?