This week, while visiting my sister and her lovely family, it began to dawn on me the how much we as humans love to play. My little nieces wake up with a zest and energy that I could only dream of. They jump out of bed ready to start the day, but mostly with the thirst for playtime. I haven’t achieved their bounding energy levels in years— even with the crutch of coffees helpful hand. I began to look at what my morning routine looked like; usually one puffy and slightly bleary eye creaks open at a time, followed by a heavy, lethargic arm windmilling towards my phone. Once activated I lay with one eye open accompanied by my scrolling thumb treadmilling my Instagram feed. Slowly, as much more time has passed than it should, I work up the courage and mite to touch my toes to the cold floor beneath my bed and rise like a zombie from its grave. My feet find their way to my coffee maker and I soon touch my lips to the energizing brew and feel my head lift up from its woken slumber. We could say my energy levels are more similar to a Corolla rather than a race car… they eventually will work their way up to highways speed but it’s gonna take a while to get going. This realization has made me realize how special it hold a kids excitement for the day, and mostly how much they enjoy to play.
Seeing the joy and excitement emanating from my curly haired nieces made it very clear to me that it is so important to hold onto and protect your own playtime and imagination as you grow up. It seems that a grown up is defined by a stately nature that has forgotten the wonder of the world or the possibilities of the day. Instead, we moan and grumble, ask ourselves if we really have to leave our beds in the morning and dream of a day spent sitting on the couch with the thing that knows us the best— our phones. It seems we have forgotten the importance of playtime.
Before I found my way to my loving sketchbook I used to wake up with even less energy, feeling a bit lost as to how to fully fill a day. I found myself waiting for work to begin for the day, feeling bored in the hours that led up to it beginning. I don’t want to paint too drab of a picture, however, because I still enjoyed life and was lucky enough to find a partner who opened my eyes up to exploring the outdoor, but the time I spent by myself was mostly mundane. I had forgotten the child’s intrigue and the child’s way of creating make belief. Once I began to create art this playful nature slowly began waking up inside of me. Soon, I found that I was craving time to sit down and whip open a blank page of exciting possibilities. I found my way to playtime and it has made me so much more excited for the day.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this weeks offbeat anecdote, I hope you find a playtime of your own to bring that childlike wonder and excitement to the day. I hope to see you next week!
As always,
Keep it offbeat!
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