How to Set Up Your Space for Playful Creativity and Flow
Read for the questions you should ask yourself --
*This is play in practice*
Your external world is a mirror of your internal one. What you think and believe on the inside is reflected back to you from the outside. Shifting your inner world shifts your outer world.
The reverse is also true: shifting your external reality can shift your internal one.
This means we can infuse elements of our external spaces with playfulness to transmit that play inside of us.
Buuuut… play is different for everyone. So there isn’t this ‘one size fits all’ plan to follow.
You’ll have to do a bit of archeological digging into your instinctual play style - which means we’re looking at our childhood again.
But this time we’re zeroing in on our childhood at home.
Think back to your elementary school years to answer these:
What did your room look like as a kid?
What were your favorite childhood fictions/cartoons?
Did you have pictures that you drew or pictures of favorite characters on your walls?
What did you collect, if anything?
What did you create or perform?
Did you have an absolute favorite toy or game - stuffed animal, action hero, board game, card game, notebook? What was it?
Was your door open so people could come in to play with you?
Or was it shut so you could create worlds alone in your imaginary space?
Who was your favorite band or musician?
What was your favorite time of day?
What was your favorite smell?
Can you remember an absolute favorite outfit or make up look- and why it was your favorite?
Reference your list of childhood loves.
Write down these answers in a journal or your notes app. Add other thoughts that come to mind. Make a moodboard with artifacts from your childhood. Share your favorites in the comments.
Our aim isn’t to literally recreate your childhood room. Like, I’m not about to start putting Pokemon posters back on my walls. Nor am I getting back into the Beanie Baby game. I… am… on Sanrio.com looking at their pens though 👀
All we’re doing is looking at the instincts we once had in our childhood homes (the instincts we had as our playful selves) to reinject that back into our life. But updated. 2024 version.
For example, I loved drawing and watching cartoons early in the morning. So my new goal is to draw something in the morning before booting up my work computer.
And I love(d) pastel pink purple dawn colors. So my color palette on my desk reflects that.
I’ve got a beanbag chair next to my workspace because I’ve been a floor sprawler my whole life and it just helps facilitate that process of me taking a break and doodling or reading a book on the floor.
My keyboard is a really beautiful Magical Girl keyboard that I put together myself. It sparks joy.
And now I’m rewatching Sailor Moon - or trying to.
Making it your own
Is there any part of child you that you can see (from your answers) isn’t being fed by your environment and life right now? What can you put in your physical environment or in your routines that cultivate the inner sense of joy and wonder you had as a child?
Try identifying your favorite time of day and setting that time for rituals you used to do as a kid. Maybe you can find old music you used to like as a child and look for its modern remix. You could start collecting beautiful items and treating it like your old collection of baseball cards or Polly Pockets - like treasured items that bring you joy.
Do it your way. Play with it.
And if you’re already doing it, share what your techniques are plzzz.
To Conclude:
Play is the solution to activate flow and enjoyment in life. At work, in personal hobbies, in learning, in relationships with others, and (especially) in your relationship with yourself.
Your Play Self is the self that
doesn’t second guess
goes with gut instinct and desires
just creates
detaches from the outcome and the status quos and, in that process, make things that our normal self is in love with
It is the you who is in flow through play.
Activate this self. Surround yourself with cues that signal enjoyment and play. Intentionally mirror your external reality inward to wake up your inner play self.
*Check out the basis of this piece in the Instagram post above.
*I’m still playing with how Substack works 😎
*Share with anyone you think will resonate 🪞
*And have a great day 💁🏾♀️