by Sandra Ladley
“Play matters because people matter. It reminds us of our interdependence and gives us a chance to really see other people. And in turn, to be really and truly seen.” Jill Valet, founder of Playworks
As I write this January 2025 newsletter, the LA fires are burning and people I know are in shock and tragically affected. Blame and attacks run rampant, and, as a fellow Californian, I feel deeply unsettled and am having a hard time sleeping. How could I write an article about play right now? I’m writing this because I feel play is essential for our cooperative well-being, and for finding solutions to living in these times.
Along these lines, the ageism activist Ashton Applewhite and Jane Fonda recently posted a well-researched short video on aging well. In it, they describe how art classes build community and can add seven and a half years to your life. They cite a National Endowment for the Arts study that shows that art classes for adults increase mental engagement and physical activity, build new or stronger relationships, and promote well-being overall. By “art classes” they state they are referring to any playful activity, such as singing, dancing, painting, writing, photographing, or working with clay. It could also be activities like gardening or cooking. There are endless options.
What immediately comes to mind for you as play?
Can you recall when you last felt free or were called to play or follow a natural expressive impulse? When was the last time you scheduled time for classes involving play?
Play is generally defined as something we do that brings us joy, without a necessary result. Scheduling time for play can seem frivolous in times like now, and finding joy can feel very far away, especially when we wake up day and night, afraid to look at the news, wishing the pain and suffering we’re seeing would simply disappear.
Play can be a stabilizing and developmental resource in times like this - it’s not just for kids or artists, or when we feel carefree. There are innumerable stories of people using play to survive hard times, like delighting in observing small daily changes in nature when looking out the window, or making up stories or songs on the spot.
Play can relieve stress, stimulate creative thinking, and cheer us up. It can help us have insights and accomplish more. Research shows we need it to keep our brains flexible, ward off depression, and sharpen social-emotional skills. When we play with others we can be with them in new ways, and we can see and be seen. Sharing seasonal rituals of play can bring meaning to our lives.
Research also shows that how we enter into what is referred to as a “play state” is very personal, and can change over time. Recently I’ve tended toward movement classes, collaging, and cooking as resources, while in the past I turned to painting and singing. I’m not one for competition but for others, competitive games stimulate a play state.
What stimulates a play state for you?
I’ll share again Dr. Stuart Brown’s research on the play state in which he identified eight different “play personalities” based on thousands of interviews, as follows:
1) The Collector – joy in gathering collections
2) The Competitor – joy in playing the game/winning
3) The Creator/Artist – joy in making things
4) The Director – joy in planning and making things happen
5) The Explorer - joy in discovery
6) The Joker – joy in humor and silliness
7) The Kinesthete - joy in movement
8) The Storyteller – joy in imagination
What brings you joy?
What do you think your play personality is? Has it changed? How does it help you?
What play would you like to try out, or do more of?
What holds you back?
I appreciate seeing this list because it reminds me how different we all are in what brings us joy. I see this in ongoing creative play classes where we have time to play in various modalities and share the fruits of our play.
In Karuna Training, we recognize different learning styles and play preferences. We include creative exercises in our curriculum and schedule open playtime in our retreats. These activities are as important as the other parts of our training as they help people integrate their experiences in a way that works for them. In online programs, we use a private channel on the Circle platform for participants to share engagement with the material between classes. Faculty sometimes provide prompts and student responses come in the form of, for example, writing, photos, or music, and we all interact in this way.
A foundational part of Karuna Training is studying and attuning to the self-existing wisdom and play of the five elements for guidance - space, water, earth, fire, and wind. People have been doing this over millennia and across cultures. In times like now we tend to ignore or forget this, and we get stolen away by things like social media and shopping. The elements are screaming for our attention. In Karuna, we use the mandala circle of the five elements as a helpful organization principle and guide for life. Miriam Hall and I will teach a weekly public class Creative Resilience from 11 - 1 pm MT, on Saturdays from March 8th to April 12th, 2025 which will be dedicated to play and sharing that draws on work with the five elements in daily life. <link>
In the upcoming Power of Play Karuna Live session on Saturday, March 1st from 10 - 11 MT, I’ll introduce this topic, we’ll explore it, and we’ll reflect on how we might want to bring play into our lives as a resource going forward. I will also provide information on the upcoming Creative Resilience online course and the Karuna Training certificate program that will commence later this year in May.
I hope to see you on March 1st.
Until then, please take good care and find a little time to play.
Sandra Ladley