Who is this for?

Playology is for everyone. There is no “ideal” reader. I created Playology to not only inform and share information with the rest of the world, but as a way to catalogue my thoughts/articles/ideas/links/whatever in a fashion that inspires and pushes ME forward.

With that in mind, I do want to spend a little bit of time sharing some thoughts on some specific benefits Playology might offer to the rest of the world. It’s easy to see the benefits that a professional artist or performer might get from a collection of thoughts on play and creativity. It’s also easy to see how a parent or elementary school teacher might find inspiration in the thoughts I’m sharing. But what about the accountant? What about the Assistant Director of HR for “Generic Widget-Making Company?” What sort of benefits does a focus on play, creativity, and imagination offer them?

Plenty! We live in a world that is moving faster than our old systems are able to keep up. The kids who will be entering kindergarten in the fall of 2015 will be most likely be graduating from college and entering the workforce in the year 2031. Think about what that for a moment- we can’t predict what our world will be like in the year 2020, let alone 2031! How can we assume that the skills and information being taught to children now will even be relevant when these kids enter the workforce? WE CAN’T!!!

Since we can’t our best bet is to prepare students, employees, and employers to be ready to think outside the box. We need to be able to apply imagination and creative thinking to not only our “now” issues but the unknown issues we haven’t even encountered yet!

That’s where Playology comes in. By applying the basics of creative play, of improvisation, creative dramatics, and game/role-playing, we are able to get back in touch with the child-like ability to think outside the box and problem solve without the barriers and roadblocks adult-hood puts in our way. We also get in touch with some genuine primal biology that releases stress and allows us to have more fun.

I could ramble on all day- but one of my creative-thinking heroes says a lot of this in a much better way.

Ken Robinson is a creativity expert and education consultant from England who has been writing and thinking about the issues facing our world as creativity and play is marginalized more and more. This is a talk he gave at the 2006 TED Conference. This talk, by the way, is the most watched TED Talk in history. And it’s brilliant. Enjoy!

-Brian

Quote of the Week…

As part of my goal to offer inspiration and thoughts (for myself & for others), I’m planning to post a quote each week to help push me forward in my own creative goals. I suggest you try not to figure out why I selected each one, just let it sink in and hopefully inspire you as well…

 

“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”

-Albert Einstein

Have a great day- create something new!

-Brian

 

What exactly is Playology?

Welcome to Playology! My hope is that we are able to provide you ideas, activities, and options to spur not only your creative juices but to find a way to bring some fun into your life. Playology is all about play. Believe it or not, but there is actual scientific research into just how important play is to all aspects of your life.

So why should you listen to me? Well, I’ve been playing all my life. As a working adult, I’ve been an actor, educator, writer, and professional Bubble Maker (yes- a professional Bubble Maker!) In my line of work, I’ve seen first hand how important play and creativity are in life. I’ve taught children how to act like adults and adults how to act like children. As a parent, I get to spend all my free time watching my kids play and coming up with new ways to push play and creativity in the world.

So keep reading, and let me know what sort of “play” makes you excited!

-Brian