At some point during my 52 years on this planet, play started to become more and more relegated to the dusty corners of my life, because of daily routines and the responsibilities of adulthood. I miss it and I intend to address the balance. The best way for me to start is in the studio, while working with my hands, but it applies to all areas of my life. I decided to kick things off officially by becoming a student again, and learning during a 3-day workshop from Australian artist sculptor Anita Johnson, here in the south of France.
In this - much longer than intended! - voice note, I share what I mean with playfulness, why play is crucial for my creative process as well as in my life more generally, and the kind of qualities and practices that need cultivating in order to support playfulness.
Prioritising play, in many ways, goes directly against the grain of the societal expectations and pressures we place on ourselves as adults in a capitalist society, where our value is linked to our productivity and financial worth. It can feel impossible to even allow ourselves permission, and it can feel risky and rebellious too. Even for someone who lives life as a creative.
But play is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It is essential for learning, creativity and well-being. As Albert Einstein said: “Play is the highest form of research”. And in the words of Maya Angelou: “You can’t use up creativity, the more you use, the more you have.”
I aim to play more! And I am sharing my intention here, as a way to hold myself accountable. So…
I am committing myself to prioritise play his coming year by creating regular (weekly) “no outcome” days, dedicated to pure exploration and led by curiosity and the materials.
I’m going to keep my playful experiments small, in order to disrupt my own habits and tendencies towards making big, time consuming pieces, and so I can respond quickly and in the moment when I feel excited about a new shape, a new idea, a new trail of responses.
Thanks for being my witness!
Cover image: my hands at work playing with spontaneous sculptural shapes during workshop with Anita Johnson. Credit: Anita Johnson. Venue: Feutre Formation France.
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The official bit:
Gladys Paulus is a visual artist, tutor and coach.
She specialises in the medium of handmade felt. Her work is in the collection of World Museum Amsterdam (the Netherlands), and private collections in the UK, Mexico, USA and Canada. She’s exhibited nationally and internationally, and in 2022, her work was shown alongside that of Turner prize nominee Dr. Ingrid Pollard MBE. Past commercial work has been featured on stage in theatres, music videos, television and film. Gladys has a long standing international teaching schedule and has taught 1,000+ students, she is a former member of the international 62 Group of textile artists and can be found on the Crafts Council (UK) selected Index of Makers.
To find out more, visit:
https://www.gladyspaulus.com/
