Link to full podcast: https://soundcloud.com/heelhang/the-artists-circle-play
“Play is training for the unexpected.” - Marc Bekoff
Prompt:
What is your relationship with “play” as an artist?
My Answer:
I feel like play is what keeps me curious and also what allows me to be “imperfect”.
Thoughts and Actions:
Play is important for people of all ages. Play has been shown to release endorphins, improve brain functionality, and stimulate creativity. Studies show that play improves memory and stimulates the growth of the cerebral cortex.
It literally makes you smarter and more creative.
Physiologically, it also reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. So if you find your practice has some negative patterns and creates a stressful environment, play might be a way to restructure your time more efficiently.
So, what IS play? Play is engaging in any sort of activity without the goal of productivity.
Regularly engaging in play has been shown to help you be more likely to use healthy coping styles for stressful situations, specifically positive reframing.
Play can also help you be healthier in general. Aerial is a naturally playful activity. What I love most about what we we do as aerial artists is… its fun. And we are intrinsically motivated to exercise when having fun.
Playing is just as much about your mindset as it is about the activity you’re doing.
You can make anything work. Even if it’s supposed to be fun.
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