The Importance of Play
If Jack Russells can have a good time, we can have a good time, too.
Do what feels good.
play /plā/
verb
1. to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
I went for a walk yesterday. I’d been staring at my computer screen for nine hours straight and needed a serious break. While walking on a quiet side street parallel to the frequently busy Sunset Blvd., I saw two squirrels chasing each other around the base of a tree.
I can’t read squirrel minds, though I wish I could. There didn’t seem to be any malice or aggression, just two cuties at play.
Play can mean a million different things: chasing a furry friend around the base of a tree; singing a silly song while cooking dinner; talking to bees while they gather pollen; throwing a tiny pancake at the wall during breakfast; reading a book instead of watching television; and playing hide-and-seek in your tiny apartment with your spouse. Play is important!
In my first newsletter, I mentioned the effects of putting too much effort into creative production. Yes, unfortunately, we need to work to live. Capitalism is a plague. We should not, however, live to work. How we spend our idle time can be channeled into playful activities that lengthen and broaden our lives. This is a skill that has long been the goal of a cyclical series in my life. I work hard, I burn out, I rediscover the benefits and needs of rest and play, I feel good about life and relax, and creativity comes more naturally; I rinse, I repeat. Whether fed by immediate financial needs or a burning desire to create something meaningful, I know that I have a strong work ethic that often bites me in the ass.
Play is often associated with children. I don’t necessarily disagree, but I think there is a negative connotation associated with this idea for adults. Children largely live carefree lives because they have the freedom to live without the overbearing weight of the world. They speak honestly and directly, and they play often. Playful adults are sometimes considered unserious and lazy.
I’ve been thinking about the idea of play a lot recently. I’m in the middle of an intense job search that feels crushing, and I spend a large portion of my time staring at my computer in search of something that will provide me with more money than I currently have.
I’m not the first person to write about the importance of play, and I certainly won’t be the last. I’ve read dozens of threads online of Scandinavians wondering how Americans live their lives the way we do.
I wonder about it, too.
In his book The Creative Act, Rick Rubin writes:
“These childlike superpowers include being in the moment, valuing play above all else, having no regard for consequences, being radically honest without consideration, and having the ability to freely move from one emotion to the next without holding on to story., For children, each moment in time is all there is. No future, no past. I want it now, I’m hungry, I’m tired.
The great artists throughout history are the ones able to maintain this childlike enthusiasm and exuberance naturally.”
I write this here for myself and for you. I hope you make more time to find joy in the experience, to live for the present moment, and to enjoy the ride of life. I’m struggling with this concept right now, but I’m working to get it under control a little bit more each day.
I hope you find time to play today.
What Excites Me
Speaking of play – we’re headed to Austin, Texas this weekend! In case it somehow slipped under your radar, a major swath of the U.S. will experience a total solar eclipse on Monday!
NASA says:
“A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse.”
I have never seen a total solar eclipse before, and I am so incredibly excited (and hoping for clear skies—this is a big fear right now). I was lucky enough to witness the annular eclipse in October 2023, and I wrote about it here.
This year’s total eclipse is certain to be quite a show. It’s the last major one in the United States until 2044. If you’re anywhere near the path of totality, find some time on Monday, April 8th!
Unsolicited Recommendations
Great Articles I Read This Week
NASA is super stoked for the 2024 total solar eclipse and hopes you are, too.
What Would Society Look Like if Extreme Wealth Were Impossible?
What I’m Listening To Right Now
Deftones have been on my radar since I was very young. As a young teenager getting into metal, they were a staple listen. One of their first singles, “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” from their second album, Around the Fur, was one of the first songs I ever learned to play on drums (in like…1998) and has remained one of my favorite songs by them.
Diamond Eyes is Deftones’ sixth studio album and one of my most-played. Of all the bands from this genre and era, Deftones have been the most fluid with their sound while simultaneously evolving their style.
Dare I say a nu-metal band has matured with age?! Considering that the band was formed in 1988 and continues to tour with virtually the same members, I’d say they deserve plenty of recognition and respect.
Listen here:
Which Books Have My Attention
ALL OF THEM!
Tabatha recently sent me a video showing a man eagerly standing at his bookshelf, giving himself a sticker and explaining why. The short version is that he owns too many books but continues buying new ones, so he wasn’t allowed to buy a new book until he read ten he already possessed.
We have a similar issue in our home, so we decided to adopt a similar Scholastic mentality:
Behold! Our new household Book-It charts.
The Rules:
Read five books you already own. Then you can buy a new one.
This doesn’t pertain to books already planned for purchase. For example, Tabatha is already planning on acquiring Miranda July’s new book, All Fours, which is expected to come out in May.
Library books don’t count in either direction! They don’t count as reads; we can check out as many as we’d like without adding to our at-home collections.
We both love books. We will always love books. We just don’t have the physical room for ALL of the books.