What did you love to do as a child?
Who did you play with?
How did you play?
Where did you play best?
When did playtime stop?
As I recall my own childhood playtime:
- What: I loved to make forts, perform magic shows for anyone who’d watch, sell candy during recess (made a killing), draw, make creations and tinker with anything I could get my hands on. My mom even made edible play dough for me. Thanks Mom.
- Who: I was out and about a lot, playing with a lot of kids. I loved watching my friends draw and create.
- How: No rules. Later in life I even burned the carpet in my room. A magic trick involving a rope soaked in lighter fluid… sorry Mom and Dad.
- Where: Although I played a lot with other kids, I spent countless hours in my room tinkering, drawing, writing, reading… just playing.
And last night, on a whim, I decided to revisit my childhood playtime compliments of our local grocery store and $17.04 in candy.
It seemed foolish. It seemed childish. It seemed a waste.
And that’s exactly the point: to just play.
Don’t Create, Just Play
Initially, I tried to create something amazing.
I tried to produce a candy sculpture.
It didn’t work. All I had was sticky fingers, a hole drilled into a nightstand and whatever this thing is:
I had to go back to square one: play.
Square one for me was unwrapping some of these beauties (and yes, eating a few) and appreciating their shapes, textures and colors.
Once unwrapped, I Googled Mr. Roy G. Biv and took several moments to just see.
To just enjoy the colors.
To slow down and let them arrange themselves before me…
Something Else
Once I scrapped the initial idea (the candy sculpture thing) and went back to the basics of childhood playtime, something else emerged.
It’s not amazing.
It’s not my ‘best work.’
It’s not high art.
But it’s my creation from just tinkering around, having fun and growing down.
