Jenga is fun
Hey Neighbor,
Well, It's Play week when I get to be the Chaos Gremlin.
It's funny how we need permission to play and be sloppy; to not chase that perfectionism. We're so conditioned to the grind and feeling guilty if we sit down for a minute, let alone a day. Not today. Today is play day.
Normally, I'd write out my thoughts like this then have my GPT organize it into something more cohesive and polished, but that's not the point of play week. With this post, you'll see why I do it. My mind bounces all over the place, but today, I’m gonna let it.
Anyway, the point is to give yourself a break. Do something that you enjoy, relax.
What do you do to relax? Here are some of my favorite go-tos:
I like beading jewelry, which I think I'm pretty good at, and wire-wrapping which I need more practice with.
I like to color with watercolor pencils, even if I can't draw anything recognizable to save my life.
I like to write stories. I really like to write stories collaboratively with other people. I have an expectation of the storyline in my head, then someone writes their part that sends it spinning into another direction. I find it delightful.
Lately I've been into tarot cards because I think it's a really good way to get in touch with my intuition. Also, have you seen some of those cards? They’re gorgeous.
I also adore a deep conversation on abstract concepts of vibrational energy and how we as universes spending time in physical bodies relate to the game simulation we've constructed.
Making guided meditation and hypnosis audios is something unusual that I find satisfying. I'm fascinated by how the mind works, how it gets in our way while attempting to protect us, and how that relates to our energy cores.
I love to go on walks, especially if I can find a path that has a creek flowing next to it. If I can borrow someone’s dog to go with me, even better.
It's fun to play with energy, talk to trees, and feel the wind on my face.
The smell of a storm, or fresh cut grass makes me automatically happy.
I still like 4-square and tetherball.
A nap can be divine. So can a hammock and a squirrel to watch.
I’ll almost always make time to cuddle with my Besties.
Game wise, I like Skyrim modded and Palia.
Researching down rabbit holes is so much fun, I spend hours doing this.
One of my fun research items is looking at real estate listings, dreaming of turning them into community housing like tiny homes, and sketching out what I would do with eye-catching parcels. The world is wondrous and glorious. Who wouldn't want to wake up to some of those awe-inspiring views with friends who ran a slow business together?
Another unusual one that I don’t actively pursue but find myself doing anyway is finding profitable business ideas, and then suggest to people who seem to align with that concept, that encourage slow living. I think I'm done being a rat in the race, I really don't think humans are made for that. It's not healthy.
Cozy things. Take your pick, I’d probably agree. Especially Solarpunk themed.
Absolutely love dressing up for Ren Faires, Fantasy Fairs, or going to events for the Society for Creative Anachronism, and all the accompanying weirdness that goes along with it. People are so creative.
A picnic in a park by myself, a drive with a friend, a bit of travel, it does my soul good.
My latest obsession is Verandas. Oh, and slightly less, Greenhouses/gardening on balconies. You can do so much with both of those.
When was the last time you just stopped for a day and blew it off? Do you own a hammock? When was the last time you felt pretty good, mental health wise, so you took over for a friend so they could have some time off?
Remember when you were a kid and summer vacation came around so you found a park or field somewhere and watched the clouds drift by, finding shapes in the fluff?
If you need permission to slow down for a while and give your brain a rest, then this is it. Here is your permission slip.
If you want some solid research as to why you should do something just for yourself that doesn't have competitive expectancy, there is a link below.
But for me? This week is my birthday, so I’m going to design a necklace.
What did you do that’s fun this week? I’d love to hear it.
Look what I put together
Curated Tools and Resources
Affiliate note: If you choose to follow a link that supports this work, it helps keep the lights on here, and I appreciate that — thank you.
I’m only sharing the ones that I’ve vetted and feel aligned with the journey.
Stuart Brown / National Institute for Play — “Play for Adults” overview: https://nifplay.org/play-for-you/make-play-part-of-an-adult-life/ National Institute for Play
(This is a page I’ve already bookmarked, I have a few of em.)
Before you go
Co-written with ChatGPT for structure and clarity — a true collaboration, not a hand-off. (But not today)
Lastly, a reminder that you’re welcome to hang around, make yourself at home, and wander through other scrolls in the Archive.
A hug at the door
As you step back into the rhythm of your week,
may awareness, connection,
and quiet hope grow within you
in the moments of your day.
With warm wishes, from me to you, wherever ye may be,
I’ll be tending the next scroll with care, until we meet again.