The Power of Play - Part 1
June 20, 2022
Written by Lily Jones
Today marked our 110th Essential Conversations. The Essential Conversations are a communal conversation reimagining the nature of leadership, and today's conversation reimagined how one can be and express their own leadership. Harry Waters Jr., and Ayn Fox are collaborating on a series of workshops together. We asked them to share what they are offering and working on with the Center for Purposeful Leadership community. This morning we were welcomed by Harry and Ayn into a community of play.
We recognize all that is taking place around us. We look back and acknowledge that today is a day in which we celebrate Juneteenth; African American Freedom. Slam poet Ben Aragbaye shares his voice for Juneteenth. One of our members shared: “The purpose of freedom is to help other people step into their freedom.”
A statement from Ben: “I was inspired to write the poem when I realized I myself was unaware of Juneteenth for a while I somehow feel like I don't know the full importance. So it was words for me and words for everyone like me. The ones who feel like everything is all good but it's those finite details of minority history that are left out and erased or "whited out". When you let something as powerful as that go under the radar it really makes you think of how much you're missing how much you're not taught and it makes you question the idea of what freedom really means, at least that's what it did for me.”
This morning we read Amanda Gormans Poem “The Miracle of Morning” as a transition.
Harry Waters Jr.
Harry Waters Jr., admires Ayn’s wisdom, knowledge and depth of commitment to making convening a natural part of our lives, and such an important way that we are living. He reflected on Amanda Gorman’s poem: we all want to be better human beings no matter what is going on. With many challenges in the past few months, partnering with Ayn has brought new possibilities. "There’s no way of knowing that this could be one of those possibilities you dream and ask for, things that are going to shift your lives; the key is to listen to those that are offering it.”
Ayn was looking someone very different from herself to co-convene a program that would gather people from different races to get to know each other through conversations focusing on our personal humanity. Harry and she met through the Essential Conversations; she was immediately intrigued by his combination of experience, and expressions of creativity and fun; but what really got her excited was their comfort in talking gibberish or nonsense with each other: a sign of a willingness to play. Through some of Ayn’s work she witnessed that sharing daily life experiences, our coping strategies and pleasures, that people who would not ordinarily meet have been developing really deep friendships and really carrying and supporting each other. In some conversations about facing racism she heard from many white-skinned people that they would like to get to know people of color, but they didn't know how to go about it. So she reached out to Harry—with the differences in race, gender, and life experiences—to explore how to create an offering that could attract people who would not ordinarily get to know each othe. “Since we both had integrated the power of play in our life, we came up with the idea of the ‘Play Dates in the Zoom Cocoon’ program. Learn more about the program HERE.
Ayn Fox
Sometimes we forget that when we become responsible, meaningful adults, there’s no room or time for “play'“. When we watch children run around the playground, backyard, or a vacant lot, etc. you see a freedom and a release. How do we as adults experience that same release? The answer is simple - don’t talk about play - just do it. One of the keys ways Harry Waters Jr. has been doing it is taking serious and then looking at it from another lens. How do we do that play where it really affects us in a different way? It’s important to bring how you like to work (family, friends, coworkers, people you don’t know) into the conversation of play. We're in times of grieving, mourning, trauma, anger. and sadness. And there's still this pocket of joy this pocket of play that gets released when we give it attention. Many people say: I can’t be playing because things are so bad as opposed to, I think I gotta play because things are so bad. We need to find each other’s joy, because joy allows us to live in different spaces different ages and different identities different personal growth. We need to find a chance release, because that means we're playing and the play means that you get to be more present, and you get to be more human.
As Ayn mentioned talking gibberish is an example of play. There’s a sense of freedom when you don't have to think of the right words, and just see where the connection will lead. There’s no offense, no one gets judged or made fun of. Playfulness can also emerge in work culture and careers. You can invent fun physical activities / exercises and energize the rest of the group. Ayn also worked on a variety of interactive drawing experiences, and this brought up out a lot of play once people got through their fear of drawing you can promote play. Using chairs and wheels to make a train can be one of the simplest play activities. Play can also be directly related to the humor or creativity of one’s life, improvising can lead to playfulness.
We asked attendees to answer discuss this question in their breakout groups. On the power of play in your leadership in your work, your life work, your spirit, spiritual journey, your survival from global awareness.
“Seek and you shall find”
“Play usually involves games and children”
“We need to pause for our life”
“Play for me is whatever restores my soul”
“Wisdom of experiences”
“Nowadays adults need playing as well as children”
“play to restore my soul, writing and letting the words flow, play is cultural, play as an attitude/ a choice in way of being”
“Use BUBBLESas a way to invite and encourage breathing in your workshops and this can take the tension away in a workshop while playing”
“we even forget how to play and forget when we can play”
“Play is an art. I believe it requires a certain awareness.”
“Play is light to your intention, song, and goofy time and, that is okay”
"Play helps us move from head to body and drops all that baggage off temporarily.
I choose who and where I allow myself to be playful."
Our next question for discussion was: Tell a story about one of the memorable birthdays that you've had good, weird, painful, hysterical, wished dreamed for.
“You know we make assumptions that everybody has kind of similar birthday experiences, and you know there's so many stories that that we can share and that's why I love convening work to create the spaces where you can move beyond the assumptions that everybody should have normal. You know, kind of birthdays, but you know some are traumatic, some are very different.”
“touched, connected”
“A happy healthy”
“Rebirthing everyday”
“Celebrating life, living and purpose”
“Every day is a birthday of sorts.”
“interesting cultural differences in the way we celebrate birthdays”
“Do all the things that bring me joy daily; create for myself what I want, and go for it”
“I am deeply touched by my team’s vulnerability, candor and laughter.”
Essential Conversations | 8:00-9:30 AM CT
Join for Play Dates Part 2 with Harry Waters Jr. & Ayn Fox
