Playfulness: March 2024

This winter weather and the ever-changing nature of grief has got me feeling dull this week. To write something helpful about playfulness, I had to dig deep … I had to ask, “WWHD? What would Harry do?” If you know Harry you could do this too. Or if you don’t, you can substitute another playful person in your life or the playful part of yourself. My point is that sometimes trying on a different persona or archetype helps to shift your mindset. Stuart Brown of the National Play Institute introduced the concept of “play personalities,” various ways adults express their playfulness. I like the concept because it feels more inclusive than making “play” mean one thing, like attending a onesie dance party. Below is the list of play personalities. Feel free to take this amusing and brief quiz to uncover your propensities, and then read more about them here. Don't like quizzes? Enjoy Ryan's talk and meditation, "Exploring Playfulness."

• The Collector

• The Competitor

• The Creator/Artist

• The Director

• The Explorer

• The Joker

• The Kinesthete

• The Storyteller

With this concept of play personalities as a guide, I invite you to take a little detour from your usual schedule and ask yourself, “what play personalit(ies) do I gravitate toward? Which ones did I gravitate toward as a child? Which ones do I want to explore more today?”

Playfully exploring,
Lisa