*card from Qualities Card Deck on Etsy from UnspeakableArts
PLAY - that is today’s quality card that I picked this morning. And I felt inspired to write about it. When I picked this card (it jumped out of the deck when I was shuffling, that’s my way of picking one card) my reaction was surprise, then pure glee, I got excited but also I felt a very strong synchronicity as I had literally just finished painting backgrounds in my Feelings Journal. I skipped 2 days because it was too late in the evening for me to paint a background and wait for it to dry.
This morning I literally just played - finger painting, using an old makeup sponge and also an odd sock (I had left my paint brushes downstairs and couldn’t be bothered to move from my bedroom!) I used to paint almost daily (mixed media messy art) a few years ago and was hit with artist’s block, desert island. When I tried to paint, it would feel so forced that I didn’t enjoy it anymore and, for well over a year, almost two, I did not paint. Now the fun is back and although I might paint once every couple of weeks, even just doing simple backgrounds of literally one rectangle of colour and a border in another colour for my Feelings journaling practice. It now truly feels like play.
This is just one of many examples of activities where I can feel the quality of play.
I remember a time when I used to work full time (currently at home on furlough since last year), going back home totally exhausted. It was so hard to find time to play, or even the energy. But every time I did, it felt like I had found my salvation, I had come back to life again - I was that little girl, carefree, and just exploring, having fun, making a mess; no stress, no worries, no responsibilities. It was so freeing. Playing brings you back to your inner child, in that state of innocence, untouched and unspoilt by society’s expectations, demands, judgements, values, right or wrong. You want to paint that tree blue and purple? You just do it, you don’t ask if it’s right or wrong - and by whose standards anyway?
Play is the ultimate freedom, unfiltered exploration where you find treasures by using your imagination and your intuition in ways you have always been meant to, and finding these gifts, insights and answers that would have never come to you by using the acceptable logic. Play is a portal to your happiness, freedom, discovering who you are and coming closer to your True Self.
It is so important to incorporate the quality of play in your life. The reality of this world can sometimes be so soul-crushing. Play brings you the balance, the uplift, shows you what is true and beautiful.
Obviously it does not work for everything- I am yet to incorporate the quality of play when I need to do my chores! But I can play pretend that I am a magician or a wizard/witch when I do the dishes (it sometimes work!)
The secret is, when you can, to not take things so seriously and make them less boring, less of a pain. We all have opportunities in our days to lighten up. We just need to notice, recognise and ask ourselves, how can I make this more fun, more playful? and just give it a go.
I encourage you to try it and see what happens. In which areas of your life could you do with a little bit more play? How could you incorporate this quality in simple ways? List all your ideas, pick one, and do it. See what happens. Probably some good old magic...
