Play! Every day.... yes, even if you are an adult

Play! Every day..... yes, even if you are an adult... in fact, especially if you are an adult.  Children don't need to be told to play, but sadly, we adults do seem to need telling.

The Importance of Playing

One of the reasons I love to draw and paint is that  for me it is play. And play is so important, for adults as well as children.  Playfulness certainly influences my choice of subject matter. Just like these little guys. These monkeys remind me to play. They represent fun - something I choose to look for in each and every day.

There are so many reasons adults should be playing. Even playing video games can improve your quality of life and actually (contrary to what we may believe) it can make us more imaginative and improve our social skills. Playing reduces stress, increases our opportunities to bond with others who share our playful interests, and gives us something to look forward to.

Fave Quotations

I'd like to share some wise words (not mine!). These are some of my favourite quotations on the subject.

• "In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." Frederic Nietsche

• "It is a happy talent to know how to play." Ralph Waldo Emmerson

• "A person's maturity consists in having found again the seriousness one had as a child, at play." Frederic Nietsche

• "Whoever wants to understand much must play much." Gottfried Benn.

• "Play is the highest form of research." Albert Einstein.

• "The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct."  Carl Jung.

• "You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what you are doing is work or play." Warren Beatty

• "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." Plato