Can you commit to play?

Last week I was doing a couple of demos for my figurative workshop, and I surprised myself. Something shifted for me, and I forgot where I was.

“A person’s maturity consists in having found again the seriousness one had as a child, at play.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Instead of being on a Zoom call trying to teach a lesson on figurative painting, I realized that I was in a room full of friends, doing the thing that I loved best. All the brushstrokes were landing, my color harmonized, and the composition popped. I was having fun, I was playing

Demo from last Friday’s Alumni Figure Painting Workshop – Gabriel Mark Lipper

Play.

Play is a word that’s synonymous with innovation. When we let go and give ourselves permission to explore and stumble, and pivot, and do it differently, and then do it again, we give ourselves room. Creating that kind of space keeps our decision-making light. It allows for discoveries instead of achievements and ideas instead of conclusions.

As artists, it’s important to bring play into our work with intention. When I feel myself freezing up, I’m learning to shift gears, breathe, or take a walk.

Sometimes, when I’m alone in the studio, I will laugh out loud. I do it on purpose. The laughter breaks something up inside of me and helps me to get back to the work at hand, which is actually play. Some of the studio neighbors now avoid my gaze when we meet on the stairs in front of the studio. They give me a wide berth, and I understand that play isn’t for everybody.

You can’t force play, but you CAN be consistent about it. Building rituals around fun makes it more obvious when you’ve missed the mark. Remind yourself daily that play is essential to your creative growth. Schedule regular playtime, and then break that schedule. Play during the middle of the day and use that momentum to work furiously into the night. Spontaneity is a disruptor. Mix it up! You might wake up a little groggy, but you’ll be inspired to play it again.

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How is your play game? Does your art feel like work?

Can you be playful with “serious” art?

Can you commit to play?