It’s time for playwork.

Yes I made up a word. As you can see it is a combination of two words that people normally think don’t go together. I think it will be a life mission to change this, at least for myself. I know I am getting closer to it, because it’s starting to feel different in my brain and body, how I think about play and work separately. I don’t think they should be separate anymore. I’m sitting at my computer staring out of my work window as the the sleet snows sideways in the middle of April. There will definitely be no recess today; that makes me kind of sad. These kids don’t play enough; education isn’t making time for play anymore. How have we gotten to this place where work and play are separate islands we either long for or loathe?

I highly suggest once again that you read the book Time Off. I was feeling things before I picked up the book and I am so glad that I did. It verified a lot of things I was thinking already. I work in a charter school and it is what it is, but some days the whole experience is just flat to me. It’s more corporate in feel than any other school i’ve worked at, that’s just our culture. It’s unfortunate though because I can feel how our corporate structure definitely influences our daily behavior. There is no playful feeling in the building. There is a drudgery due to the time schedule, lack of breaks, and all the things asked of the teachers and staff. It also doesn’t help that there is a weird hierarchy, it’s a very white place despite being an inner city school full of Black and Brown children, and communication between administration and staff is not transparent, and feels thwarted at times. I’m learning things I don’t like. This is not how I would run a workplace culture. I think I want to learn how to make awesome culture now. Culture is everything.

I have been blessed to be in some pretty awesome places that had inspiring cultures. As I look back, it was the spaces and people in conjunction that made that all possible. As I look deeper into those moments, it was also the belief system and practices of the people in charge of those spaces that made all that awesome possible in the first place. The dopest cultures I have been a part of have always made it their mission to empower others, grant a sense of autonomy and accountability, and there is this foundation of safety, great communication, and experimentation. It seems lately like these types of work place attributes are a luxury but that is false. These attributes are a necessity and any environment that lacks these qualities is not truly performing at peak level because certain needs aren’t being met. I spend 40 plus hours a week in a space that is lacking. I wonder if you are doing the same? It’s time to make a change. It’s time to be a thoughtful leader.

The statement that rings true right now is really, “Know Thyself.” We all ultimately have to know what we need that will enable us to succeed. The sad fact is that our environments are not always going to provide us the things we need to succeed. This is the most important time to start your idea of playwork. You have to find something that gives you a sense of play, creation, freedom, and ownership in your immediate environment and run with it. It’s an odd concept but not really once you lean into it. What’s in your immediate work space or area that you can have fun with and create a sense of play, freedom, and ownership of space?

I bring my camera, my journal, and a sound recorder everywhere. These are the things that allow me to look at the world with old eyes, new eyes, and just jump right into a moment. Lately, it’s this revitalized blog that is making me think about the power of just showing up and letting go. I have fun when I write. There is something about the tactile act of writing with my favorite pen or pressing keys and seeing words transfer from the ether of my brain to a physical result on the page. I guess it’s the same thing with photography, videos, and music. There is a magic that fills the void we all feel once in a while when you can just be and let loose. We all need that freedom to express ourselves fully and freely. And honestly those moments seem to happen when we are around friends and loved ones or we’re playing around and just having fun. Playwork is something I am really aspiring to right now. Everyday should be fun and exciting and we should play an active role in it at some point. I didn’t make playwork up, even though I might have thought I did. I looked it up to make sure I wasn’t bugging. It’s a thing. You should make it a thing in your real place of work and in your life. We all learn through play. Let that sink in for a moment. You gotta play. You gotta work. Let’s close the gap if at possible. That’s my new dream.