“Play is your artistic fountain of youth. For us old codgers it’s the only way we can stave off falling into forever patterns or becoming stale and the entropy that can come for years of working and being rewarded for a fixed style or approach. It keeps you limber, alive and ready for the new, and play in areas that scare you or make you nervous should never be seen as warnings off of dangerous territory, but reason why you must attack them with all the creative fury you can muster.”
Greg Ruth, “Why PLAY is Important to Your WORK“, 19 February 2021
Being playful requires making a commitment to take what you’re doing seriously but without being serious about getting predetermined results. Risk getting muddy (colours). Splash in puddles (let paint drip and run). Colour outside the lines (break rules and habits). Mix without recipes (colours and mediums). If you’re not having fun or exploring (which can be scarey rather than fun), you’re not playing.