I’ve been playing a lot recently - weaving with new colours, using different tools, running my hands through the sand, watching the paint spread across a page. This may seem counterintuitive to what I have posted recently, but I see it as essential. When we are angry about the state of the world, we need to stay connected to our inherent why.
I am angry because I want all people to be able to live a life free of oppression. I want us to be free to play and live with ease. I want to be free from the narrative that we always have to be using our time “productively” in service of capitalist and colonialist structures.
Making art and playing is an act of resistance in a world that wants to suppress our creativity. Making a mess, taking up space on a page, doing something when we have never done it before, trying new things without instructions, giving ourselves time to rest - these things all make a difference. They connect us to who we are. They connect us to hope. They offer us the capacity to imagine a brighter future and continue to stand up against injustices. Without play, the bleakness can become unbearable.
Tricia Hersey, author of Rest is Resistance writes: “We underestimate imagination, belittle it as a waste of time; we too have a right to build and reimagine our world”.
Please play. Explore. It is toxic to believe that things are not good if they are not perfect. Use your time in service of present and future joy. You are deserving of joy and rest and play now.
And if you don’t know how to do this, that is ok. It can take time to learn how to play again. You can always start small - what is one thing that you know consistently brightens your day? Maybe it’s a Hallmark movie, maybe it’s playing with your cat, maybe you like to make art, or you want to go mushroom hunting in the forest. Remind yourself that you are deserving of this easeful time. You are deserving of an easeful life.
And if you want any further help, come join me for my women’s retreat focused on authentic expression. We’ll talk about why you’re stuck, what we can do about it and how to make space for yourself. You’ll leave with a belly full of good food, a package of information and inspiration, messy hands and an empowered sense of self. Let’s reimagine the world together.
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