Are you secretly craving creativity?

When responsibilities limit self-expression, imagination takes over

This is going to sound crazy but…

For the last few days, I have been craving potstickers and Krispy Kreme donuts. Might seem like a normal Friday to some but it’s entirely strange to me because I haven’t had either of those items in years. This pull was so strong, I found myself on the phone with a local grocery store trying to hunt down gyoza wrappers for the chicken potstickers I have only had once and have never made in my entire life. Ridiculous, right? Absolutely bonkers. But wait. It gets crazier…

In the last couple of days, I’ve made 60 potstickers, 20 glazed donuts and 12 shredded chicken tacos. These are things I don’t make regularly but that I needed to make. As I looked at the the explosion that was my countertop, I realized that it wasn’t hunger driving what felt like an obsession. What I was truly craving was PLAY…

This past week, I was worried about a doctor's appointment I had (all is well, promise) and I also had to make what felt like challenging decisions in my business. I had such a serious week. I didn’t journal as much as I usually do or connect with the people that keep life light. There was nothing that actually went WRONG this past week but there also wasn’t a whole lot of FUN either. I need places and spaces for me to creatively fail.

My body, mind and spirit knew it and were literally dragging me to “come out and play” which for me looks like trying new recipes. This concept is called Ludic drive and is the innate, biological drive for play behavior. Ludic comes from "ludus" which means play/playful in Latin. Remember the game Ludo? It’s derived from the same word “ludus” so let’s just call our ludic drive that for short. I’m aging myself, aren’t I? Moving on…

We, as humans, have a built-in play instinct that serves as an indicator when a change in focus without limits is necessary. While our ‘ludo’ can assist us in being more productive at work, it can also help us:

1. Relieve stress by redirecting our focus from life’s high stake activities towards enjoyable low-pressure ones.

2. Solve bigger problems by flexing our creative muscles through playfulness and improvisation in smaller situations

3. Regulate our emotions by tapping into and expressing feelings we don’t always have a space to release.

If you’ve been dreaming about building legos or going for walks, don’t ignore it. It might just be your ‘ludo’ redirecting you towards imaginative, exploratory, and interesting places in your real life. So, put your coat on, run out those doors and play until the lights come on. If you can hear your mother calling you to come in for dinner in the distance, then you’re doing it right…

Journal Prompts

1. What activities or hobbies consistently bring out your playful side?

2. What signals does your body/mind give when it's time for a creative outlet?

3. What ONE activity can you set aside 15 minutes for this week purely for enjoyment and self-expression?

Ways to Support My Work

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