How to make space for PLAY in your life

Carving out more time for creativity and play doesn’t have to be a “schedule it” or bust kind of mentality.

Planning and developing habits can help us carve out that time AND so can being spontaneous.

I’ll be the first to tell you HOW MUCH I LOVE scheduling things in my colour-coded calendar, my new Monday morning “playdate” and participating in a daily creative practice like the 100-day project….

….BUT….I don’t think spontaneity gets the credit it deserves for the sense of adventure, curiosity and flat-out FUN it adds to our lives and our creative work.

Sometimes we’re in seasons where we’re already up to our ears in building habits
AND we can’t stand the idea of scheduling one more minute of our damn day…
....BUT we still crave that creative playtime.

...so what do we do?....We INVITE it in with a little help from our friend SPONTANEITY

#1 Create Play + Art Supply Baskets

Put together baskets or trays full of creative and art supplies, games and outdoor play equipment and place them in different rooms throughout your space.

Having the supplies out and within reach makes it easier for you to pick something out and start playing.

Think about how many times you pick up your phone, just because it’s right beside you. The same idea applies here.

#2 Bring PLAY into your workspace

Dedicate a shelf or space on your desk for playful supplies like colourful markers, sticky notes, crayons, bouncy balls, playdough and may I suggest confetti!

Reach for these supplies when you're feeling stuck, need a break or kick off your day with a playful "warm-up" for your brain and imagination!

#3 When Brainstorming

Whether you're brainstorming a name for your next workshop, content or how to market your work….THIS is the PERFECT task to bust out those playful supplies.

The more PLAYFUL you make your brainstorming sessions, the more imaginative and generative they will be.

#4 ..it's RECESS time

Turn your lunch break or Saturday afternoon into a RECESS.

Notice how seeing that hour as a RECESS changes the way you think about and USE that time.

When we make more space to play and create just for fun, we’re also making more space for…. imagination, JOY, fostering a deeper connection with ourselves, our friends and family, the people we seek to create for and the bigger world around us.

IT’S PLAYTIME!