Reconnect With Your Inner Child

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

Pablo Picasso

When we are children, play is an instinct.

Our mother plays peekaboo with us before we can utter a word. Anything stackable — books, coasters, toilet paper rolls — is a building block. A stick is a sword or a Quidditch broom.

We have no fear. We don’t care about whether we are good at something or not. What matters is that we have fun. When we play, joy overflows.

The world seems infinitely interesting.

As we age, the story changes. No one tells us that there is an invisible line somewhere between childhood and adolescence: Once we cross that line — always unknowingly — play is now officially trivial.

“It’s time to grow up,” say the people that once rejoiced in our pure joy. “Stop being childish.”

While others judge us, the hardest critic is ourselves. We go to great lengths to avoid feeling silly or incompetent. We censor what we say and what we do. We stop trying new things.

Bit by bit, we bury the inner child.

It gets worse when we enter into our 20s and 30s. Responsibilities mount: jobs, bills, and family obligations. But even when we have free time and energy, we opt to do anything but truly play. We watch Netflix to live vicariously through someone else’s story. We scroll our feeds to safely observe at a distance without exposing ourselves. We yell at professional players on TV instead of actually playing the sport.

Nothing wrong with these activities. But these are consumption, not play.

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You may ask: What’s the cost of not playing?

Think back on the moments when you feel alive in your life.

When you laugh hysterically playing board games with your friends. When you play your a piece of music from start to finish. When you explore the beauty of the world in a new place.

When you create your own recipe because you run out of ingredients at home. When you write your first poem. When you come up with a joke that you are proud of.

When you make a free throw with a basketball. When you drive a golf ball 200 yards. When you fly a kite with your dad, your partner, or your child.

When you paint, embroider, or make a pottery bowl.

Whatever it maybe, it’s no wonder that our best, happiest and most vivid memories are often moments of play.

When we play, we open ourselves to possibilities. It calls us to be present, inquisitive, and creative. Very often we enter into flow — a state of complete bliss where we lose track of time — which is essential for happiness. We broader our perspectives, challenge old assumptions, and see old things in a new light.

Nothing can fire up the brain more than play.

Studies even show that play improves our health. It reduces our stress. Our blood pressure goes down. We are more creative and innovative. It boosts our quality of life and the quality of our work.

Play isn’t trivial. It is essential. And we play a dear price for not doing it.

“When we play, we are engaged in the purest expression of humanity, the truest expression of our individuality.” says Stuart Brown, a psychology researcher.

It’s literally the thing the makes us human.

So be a child again. Pick up a new hobby. Write a song. Pull out your crayons or paint brush. Bike through a new neighborhood without GPS. Make something.

Don’t worry about making it perfect. Don’t think about selling anything on Etsy. Don’t try to impress anyone. Just do it. Share it with your friends if you want, or keep you creation in a drawer forever.

Give it all you have without expecting anything in return.

Your inner child is still there.

Now stop reading, find it, and go play.

Originally published at https://jimmychim.com.