The Importance of PlayGet Back to Your Artist
by Laura Interval
Do you remember when you used to create for no reason? I mean, just create something… for hours… with no idea where it was going to go, or how it was going to turn out.
It dawned on me today that the last time I did that, was when I was 12 years old. OK… maybe that’s an exaggeration. Maybe I should say the last time I did that without guilt attached was when I was 12. I used to sit in my bedroom for hours on end and build all kinds of really valuable things . . . bottle cap castles and toothpick houses. I would put all of my energy into it. I would focus like it was the most important job in the world . . . stopping only when my mom called me in for supper.
Where did that go . . .that intention to create without the attachment to the outcome? That intention to create without the attachment to the income is more like it. The need to express without expecting payment or needing outside validation. Pure play. Does that just disappear as we become adults with responsibilities?
I think it’s one of the dangers in pursuing your art as an occupation. It is a difficult balance to maintain; art and business. Most often, we are not only responsible for creating our art, but also dealing with agents, getting work, making sure the business of “you” stays up and running. So often, creating out of pure joy can get severely restricted or just lost altogether.
An actress friend of mine was offered a role in a low, low, low, budget film recently. Her agents did not want her to do it because it would take her “out of the market” for a little while. She would not be available for auditions and they weren’t going to make any money off of it. She hasn’t had a great money year so although she loved the script; she made the decision to pass… and continue to audition for higher paying gigs. I watched her struggle through that month that turned out to be extremely slow… regretting her decision more and more as it became obvious that no other job was to come her way. She was restricted by fear and guilt and felt less creative than ever before.
Why? Why do we do this? She allowed her fear of the outcome, her expectation of herself to strip her of the freedom to just create. Had she trusted her instinct, her feeling of pure joy to create the role, she would have been so much happier and fulfilled as an artist. And, in fact, she would have had a little bit more money in the bank!
How, then… can we get back to creating freely… for the pure joy of expression? How can we get back to the fearless belief in our art… to spend an hour or two of happily creating bottle cap castles?
A few ideas:
Schedule it! Make the time! This is absolutely the most important element to stripping yourself of that guilt. Schedule time for yourself… in which you can do anything you want. But, designate it for PLAYING. Make sure you have a few hours free and clear. For more tips on finding time read Time Management. Make arrangements so that everyone else that you are responsible for; kids, spouse, sister, mom….is taken care of.
Give yourself permission! This is sometimes harder than it seems. Now that you have given yourself the time… give yourself permission to follow your instincts. Where ever they lead you. Nothing is too stupid… nothing is out of bounds. Sculpt with playdo, paint a mural, build a sandcastle… whatever you feel. Remember, you’re not creating for outcome… you’re creating for the experience of creating!! Permit yourself to be terrible . . . messy….and completely out of the box. You will often find your genius there.
Don’t put expectations on yourself! The only expectation you have is that you stay in the moment while you’re creating. Feel each moment… experience yourself as the artist that you are, just simply by creating. If you have to expect something… then expect to throw away whatever you are creating at the end of your session.
Don’t plan to show anyone! Don’t try to please anyone but yourself.
Do it once a week for at least a month. Go ahead and schedule it in your calendar. Get back to creating without expectations. Begin to experience that joy of pure play again. Get back in touch with your creative instincts and validate them.
Who knows what you’ll discover? Some of the most famous toys were discovered during pure play. The Frisbee was created when Yale students began tossing Frisbie Pie Company pie plates they pulled out of the trash. The Slinky was created by a naval engineer working with coils on battleships. The road to wealth is paved with concepts and ideas that sprung out of moments of pure play.
Get back there . . . to creating without limitations. The core of your artist is there… holding the keys to your fulfillment and prosperity.
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