In choosing today's Sculpture By the Sea picture I was immediately taken by the artists creativity and skill, but more importantly by the strong sense of playfulness represented in the work.
Inspired by that thought, I did a quick search of the ether to see what the net had to say about the phenomenon of playfulness. I soon came across what is probably as good a definition as any. " PLAYFULNESS -as a differentiating value, meaning full of fun and high spirits; a disposition that creates amusement."
This surely has to be one of the more positive, interesting and fun values we humans have at our disposal as we stumble through the lottery of life.
Play is something we are mostly all initially encouraged towards by our parents, right from the time we're old enough to smile and lift our big brains up from the baby cot pillow.
As we grow into infancy we soon become mobile and learn how to communicate more effectively with facial gestures and language. Our possibility for more diverse and complex play expands along with these growth spurts. Pretty soon we are running about the place, engaging in all sorts of shenanigans - not only with our parents, but also with siblings, friends and the wider community. Who can resist a smile whenever they happen to come across a jolly little infant, full of high spirits and joy as they embrace life's adventures through play?
As our life journey continues, however, we somehow manage to diminish the noble quality of playfulness as we are confronted by some of the more serious aspects of life - exposure to the education system, the notion of competition and the dog eat dog world that is the employment market. Fun isn't really a quality that's fully appreciated in the serious world of business and making a buck. Some enlightened souls (and indeed some businesses) do still manage to retain a healthy hold on the playful skills they learned as a child. They are the ones who continue to appreciate what a creative and inventive thing being playful can bring to the table of life, and they generally refuse to compromise in any way. Other people seem to reach a healthy compromise. They keep their playfulness quietly hidden away while they get on with other more serious matters in life. Sadly, there are also others who seem to abandon and turn away from playfulness all together.
What I've just said in the paragraphs above are just my own personal observations. A simplistic view on how we seem to evolve alongside playfulness. I haven't done any serious research on the matter, and would probably find there are multitudes of other issues at play if I were to do so. The real point I wanted to make is that our inner child, that playful being within us all, is so very vital and important in helping us all to maintain a happy and balanced perspective on life. Just think, without playfulness, the whimsical hand statue dropping sand onto a beach would probably never have existed.
Having completed my working life, I can personally attest that there is still a real need to retain a strong sense of playfulness in your dotage. It certainly brings joy and completeness to my own life. A true cradle to the grave skill that we need to continually nurture and grow.
So, rise up my friends. Rise up!! Embrace your inner child... greet it like a long lost friend ... and get out there and create yourself some amusement.