play by Angel Young

play

Such a small word. And when we were kids wasn't it easy, spontaneous, wonderful. I was lucky enough to have a rural upbringing and my childhood was full of barns which in turn were full of straw bales. It may not sound like much to work with, but we built houses, palaces, tunnels all manner of canvases in which to play our broad fantasies! Wow. What a gift! I'm so glad for those days and that freedom....

And freedom - isn't that what we're really talking about here, what we are trying to capture? But some how we've prioritised work over play, over our own emotional and mental freedom. That work can take all sorts of different forms - work-work, house-work, other people's priorities, not to mention kids and their work - which is of course - play!

I think with this you have to start small. Don't wait for the perfect moment of complete freedom. Sneak the play in!!! Start doodling, or get those magnetic poetry juices working each time you go to the fridge. Take a picture of your breakfast table this very day! Start a one-print-a-day finger painting. Whatever you can do to get you going - whatever you can do to get past the you-must-work-all-the-time censor.

You will be amazed at what you can achieve! Ah how the light touch of that freedom feels! How it makes your heart flutter! And life with all it's variety needs these flutters, your heart needs to know you care about what it loves. It needs this nourishment. So indulge a little - you have permission - at least from me! But the challenge is take that step yourself - and play! :0)

Angel lives in the UK, and is currently enjoying a sewing fad and a love of film photography.