Neoteny

I've been thinking a lot about play lately. I read this article a few months ago on Design Observer and it took me back to my days as an unemployed skateboarder.

I didn't have a care in the world. I took cans from grandma's house to the recycling center for gas and cigarette money. My friends and I would drive around every day looking for new spots — places to skateboard.

For me this photograph exemplifies the creativity of a skateboarder. We take the mundane and turn it into something useful. Something beautiful.

Skateboarders also need to posses the same fearlessness depicted here. They need to imagine a good outcome and make it happen. These children weren't thinking about falling. They weren't thinking about broken bones. And, they certainly weren't thinking about health insurance or how much a visit to the doctor would cost should they fall to their peril.

That's not what our imaginations are meant for. Our playfulness should give us freedom. It should let us fly. Not tie us down. It's easy as "adults" to let that happen though. And the results are tragic.

Not only does this lessen our quality of life, but it also limits our potential. Potential to learn, contribute, build, love, grow...

So I challenge you. This weekend, do something daring. Something creative. Take a risk and see how it makes you feel. Don't lose sight of your playfulness. It's what makes us human.

—CH