Making Space for Play

There is a common misconception that play is only for children. But the play instinct is a natural human impulse that we can always call upon for inspiration.

Viewing and making art is often described as an experience. What is at the root of that experience? Play!

Benefits of Play

Play is fundamental to lifelong learning. It promotes flexibility, creativity, problem-solving, and connection to ourselves and others. It fuels our imagination, relieves stress, and improves our emotional and psychological well-being. Play is older than culture and generates culture.

When we authentically play, we enter the ‘play space’ where we feel spontaneous and absorbed in what we are doing. Play facilitates the creation or co-creation of a more meaningful experience.

Play in Art

In fact, play was a serious matter for modern artists. Many of the great modern artists and art movements took inspiration from childhood and play. It was Pablo Picasso who once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Modern artists, disenchanted by the post-industrialized 20th century and disillusioned by war, sought a return to a more innocent time where their worldview was uncorrupted by modern civilization. They wanted to see the world anew and break out of fixed conceptions of reality, so they made space for play. With childhood as a common point of return for modern artists, there is a sense that we become rigid by habituation and rationalization and need play to become flexible again.

By making space for play in our lives, we make room for the joy of discovery and creativity.

Want to Play?

In Bream and Sprat programs, we are always encouraging play. Try some beginner Bream courses to loosen up and get playing!