Playfulness: March 2023
One of the best things I discovered as an adult was learning to play the ukulele. I didn’t come from a musical family and I never played instruments as a child, though I always enjoyed music and other forms of art. My son and I started taking classes together at a studio in Boise. Our music teachers, Marcus and Angie, taught classes out of their home studio down the street. Marcus would start lessons by putting on whatever song we felt like hearing that day and then having us both play drums to the beat of the song. It was a way to train our ears to rhythm so we could bring that to our ukulele lessons. But also, pretending to play band is so much fun.
The highlight of our weekly lessons was the hootenanny, a jam session with other students who were also learning to play instruments. We weren’t trying to be perfect, we had no destination, really. We had the best time ever. The sense of doing something for the pure enjoyment and not to check off a box, is one of the qualities of playfulness. An NPR LifeKit podcast described playfulness this way: “Playfulness is when you embrace a spirit of lightheartedness and freedom. It means letting go of the idea that you have to be perfect or to achieve something.”
In terms of Flourish’s values, I like to think of playfulness as a delicious burrito filled with value 11, joy and vulnerability. For no extra charge, you can make it a supreme burrito, which includes kindness and generosity. Playful acts can help us cultivate all of these values. And as Ryan wrote in his reflection, let’s ponder and manifest ways playfulness in ways that could benefit others. Here are some resources to dig deeper on playfulness:
Read: 40 Ideas to Experience Childlike Playfulness as Adults
Read & Listen: How to Have Fun and Why You Should
Watch: TED Talk: Why Having Fun is the Secret to a Healthier Life