Welcome aboard and happy summer to those of you in the Northern Hemisphere! This is Author Abroad, a newsletter on reading, writing, and reflections from a life abroad. This month’s edition of Author Abroad takes a look at the benefits of play.
The pace of life has felt so relentless lately that we seem to be collectively out of breath. On top of a never-ending to-do list, we’re harried by the constant ping of emails and texts, dizzied by the menace of social media, and bombarded by one piece of bad news after another (he’s dropping bombs now too?). It can be hard to find the time and mental space to tap into our creative energy. This can feel especially taxing for those of us pulled toward the arts.
Fortunately, summer has arrived in my little corner of the world, reminding me to slow down and savor its beauty. With the warmer weather and longer days, I find myself drawn outside, taking long walks in the woods behind my house, digging my fingers in the soil as I tend to my flower pots, diving in the still-very-cold water at my favorite beach. In short, I want to PLAY. Scratch that—I need to play.
What is play? According to my Apple dictionary, to play is to “engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” That last part is key: Play is something we do with no productive end in mind. We engage in play simply because it gives us pleasure in the moment. Children play a lot. Animals too. Adult humans, not so much.
Yet all the same benefits apply to us. Play helps us relax. It stimulates our imagination and our curiosity, helping us forge new connections. When at play, we lose track of time, forgetting our worries, if only temporarily. Afterward, we feel refreshed, restored, and ready to face the world again. When our minds and bodies are engaged in play, our creative side opens up, working through problems and finding new solutions without conscious effort. Play may begin with no productive end, but ultimately, it makes us more productive.
There’s no right or wrong way to engage in play. What one person finds enjoyable might feel like a chore to someone else. Any activity that breaks up your routine and activates your senses is fair game. (Like what I did there?) Here are a few ideas I have in mind:
Take a walk in the woods
Watch the sun set/moon rise
Go on a bike ride
Do some gardening
Look at the stars
Read a book for pleasure
Sew something
Cook a new dish
Swim in the ocean
Sing or play music
Daydream
Watch a favorite film
Play a board game with friends or family
The possibilities are endless. How do you like to play?
That’s all for now. Author Abroad will be on summer hiatus for the next two months, but don’t worry, I’ll be back in September with more reflections on reading, writing, and a life spent abroad.
💕Liz
Or let yourself be inspired by children - build a sandcastle at the beach or dig a hole or collect shells or rocks and make a design, collect a few sticks and leaves and make a fairy house in your garden, pick a perfect flower to give someone, doodle a daisy, buy a children’s set of watercolors, mess around with colors, and pin it to your fridge, paint your fingernails (and/or toes) different colors- or have fun with a new shade, or one of my favorites, draw designs on paint pens on beach stones :)
Lovely! I especially like the addition of "sew something" to your list, although every suggestion makes good sense to me! Nice sign-off for your hiatus, which I hope includes some very good play.