The Art of Play
The transformation that adolescence brings often entails increasing amounts of work and responsibilities. Naturally, we tend to ‘play’ less than we did during childhood, and our relationship with play drastically changes. This is likely due to the nature of our modern working society, where there is constant pressure to meet deadlines, climb corporate ladders while simultaneously balancing relationships and maintaining an ideal lifestyle. It is not a surprise that guilt often then becomes associated with play. While the whole concept of play may be perceived as light-hearted and for many, unnecessary, it is in fact a fundamental aspect of the biological development in human psychology and is universally imbedded within the nature of allanimal behavior.
The purpose of my proposal is to conduct an investigation into the freedom and fearlessness of childhood play, with the intention to revisit a period of time where we used imagination to create our own worlds and become completely and utterly immersed within the play. There will be an exhibition of interactive objects inspired by common childhood activities relating to pleasure and amusement. For example, sculptures would be made drawing inspiration from playgrounds, bouncy castles, trampolines, waterslides, etc. It would therefore be important for the objects to be interactive, where people could touch, move, spin and engage in a personal experience with each object. Inorder to create work that most successfully fulfills the purpose of this exhibit, extensive research on the impacts of play will be conducted. In particular, this aims to understand how play fits within our biological system, its psychological impacts and the ways in which society influences our overall relationship with play.
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines ‘play’ as the act to ‘engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.’ In other words, it frees the assumption that play is limited only to the activity of children and is instead inclusive of all the ways we choose to spend our time purely for pleasure. Clinical researcher and the president of the National Institute for Play,Dr. Stuart Brown, furthers this concept through outlining the seven properties of play:
- Play is Purposeless
- Play is Voluntary
- Play has an Inherent Attraction
- Play involves a Freedom from Time
- Play involves a Diminished Consciousness of Self
- Play involves Improvisational Potential
- Play produces Continuation Desire
The idea that play is intended to be ‘purposeless’ refers to the act of play being exclusive of any modern-day survival value such as profiting money or food, which makes it voluntary. An important factor is a “Diminished Consciousness of Self,” referring to a hallmark of play that eliminates concerns of judgement from others. When we are fully engaged in play, we forget about appearing awkward, silly or uncomfortable. What is left is a captivating and intensely pleasurable experience that liberates a sense of time. Therefore, although activities we find enjoyable is different for each individual as it is also constantly changing, it is assured that the desire to play is undeniably universal and serves as a fundamental role in both human and animal behavior.
As play is incredibly integrated within the animal kingdom, we witness the act of play everywhere; from dogs chasing and bears tussling to even ravens sliding down a snow hill. It is a biological process of our system because not only does it foster survival but it also shapes the brain and promotes adaptability. An example includes ‘play-fighting,’ where animals, including humans, engage in a ‘rough-and-tumble’ play (such as puppies playfully lunging at each other) which develops the skills of social interaction and promotes the ability to navigate complex social groups. Play signals therefore establishes the basis of human trust, which aids social development through childhood and maintains these qualities in adulthood. Additionally, John Byers, a scholar of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, discovered that play is inherently correlated to the development of our cognition, which allows us to organize information, thoughts and emotions. During play, simulations allow the brain to make sense of itself and opens the window for us to try new ideas without compromising our emotional wellbeing. In relation to the daily human experience, it develops our imagination in a way that allows us to experience situations and learn from them, become practical in solving problems and to foster empathy.
Interestingly, this raises the question of why our attitude and declining engagementtowards play changes as we mature? The answer is simple; through adolescence we are taught to put away childish things and take on ‘adult’ responsibilities. We become more sensitive to the opinions of others, and play is seen as immature. Especially in the working society, where worth is often measured by productivity, there is simply no time to play. However, what if play is in fact, productive, despite it being purposeless? Studies repeatedly show that a trusted environment encourages the freedom to play which taken into the context of a creative workplace, it means that the same sense of trust creates the freedom to take risks and open possibilities to explore new ideas. Many creative companies today have employed this concept through establishing ‘playful’ environments, such as slides at both Google and YouTube headquarters, a Lego play station at Googleplex and Pixar’s wooden huts for animators to work in. While these environments appear to be carefree, it is specifically designed to enhance creativity and encourage collaboration. Ben Waber, a scientist at the M.I.T. Media Lab and the author of “People Analytics,” explains:
Physical space is the biggest lever to encourage collaboration. And the data are clear that the biggest driver of performance in complex industries like software is serendipitous interaction. For this to happen, you also need to shape a community. That means if you’re stressed, there’s someone to help, to take up the slack. If you’re surrounded by friends, you’re happier, you’re more loyal, you’re more productive. Google looks at this holistically. It’s the antithesis of the old factory model, where people were just cogs in a machine.
Not only is play a biological learning process, it is also a tool to facilitate positive workplace interactions and a catalyst for creative innovations.
Additionally, play attributes to personal health, relationships and wellbeing. The nature itself is transcendently rewarding; it eases stress, promotes optimism and energizes our state of mind. Dr. Brene Brown, a researcher of shame and vulnerability, stresses that our biological need for play is equivalent to our body’s need for rest. However, it is common in our working society to associate hard work with exhaustion and a lack of sleep, which consequently affiliates play as the opposition of productivity and achievement. However, according to The National Institute for Play, research has shown that a prolonged deficit of play correlates to an increased chance of obtaining stress-related diseases, depression and interpersonal violence. It is therefore essential to integrate play within our lifestyles, not only for the enjoyment but also for the prevention of psychological disorders.
To play is to generate happiness from everyday experience. This goes throughout the entire animal kingdom, where play is designed to be a part of our biology. Its neurological developments are crucial to our most important relationships and shapes our perception of the world around us. In the workplace, play is transformative; it gives us the skills to effectively problem solve, encourages interactive collaboration and pushes us to become the master of our craft – all of which are essential to the creative process. Most importantly, when we play, we create captivating and intensely pleasurable experiences, some of which we remember for a lifetime. These wonderful qualities regenerate our natural state of positivity and ultimately becomes the gateway to lasting joy and self-satisfaction.
