Are You Making Time For Play?

Last September I signed up for a modern dance class.

I hadn’t taken a dance class in almost twenty years but I figured “What do I have to lose? I bet I can’t really move twenty years later but it will be fun to try.”

I had no idea how impactful going back to dance class would be.

Giving myself that creative space that was just for me - it lit a fire in me.

It got me thinking - why, after dancing and singing and performing for SO many years of my life, had I completely abandoned that part of me simply because I had decided not to do it professionally?

This summer, while my dance class is on hiatus, I’m taking a writing class. Not because I intend to publish a book or write a movie…just because. Because being in a community of creative people gives me joy and energy and more creativity. Having that space that’s just for me - it’s like Vitamin C. If it’s missing, I can feel it big time.

What’s the thing you once loved that you stopped doing? Why did you stop? Just because you’re older now? Because you can’t find the time? Because it feels “frivolous”?

Well here’s your permission to indulge…

Honoring play and creativity is so important that Dr. Stuart Brown, the author of “Play”, says when we stop playing, we start dying.

Play has been proven to release endorphins, stimulate creativity, improve brain functionality and improve your memory.

So finger paint. Roll around on the ground with your dog. Get out a board game. Put together a game of pickup basketball. Take out a coloring book. Go try out a trapeze or a circus class. Build with Legos. Take a hip hop class. Experiment in the kitchen.

Let yourself do something just because you love it.

The world doesn't prioritize the importance of doing things just for our joy. But I call bullshit. Take it upon yourself to explore and get messy and creative and to discover… I promise you, the benefits will show up in everything you do.