Adam Blatner
Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner
Creativity Promotion
Originally posted on December 6, 2013
Can we promote creativity itself? Maybe that’s like creating electricity without having devices to run. I suspect this is a theme to explore and develop. Really, what it involves is playing with stuff, people, the world, your mind, attitudes, whatever.
“Can you just do that?” Sure, why not. I’ve become impressed with a dismal reality: People think being serious is virtuous. I don’t object to being serious. Often I indulge in this as it seems fitting. But it never occurs to me to feel more “me” that way. The following cartoon expresses my concern: The caption: He’s saying to the fairy, “See my attorney.”
What strikes me is that it’s funny, but yet again, I am concerned that this is a form of unconscious slavery, oppression, the opposite of empower-ment to play creatively. If you get too serious and “business-like” and stay that way long enough so that you can’t “come off it” because you have no idea what that’s like, well, that’s a pity, really. I suspect that this sort of condition, a form of malnourishment of the soul, a deficiency of Vitamin P (for play), is really quite widespread.
Play is so tarnished with childishness that it may take a campaign to re-educate folks, to redeem this wonderful process. I’m re-writing my book on the Art of Play to do that. Suggestions are welcome.
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