Empowering you to lead a joyful and creative life

“Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation.”
Michael Schrage

Play is essential to creativity and innovation but we often see it as a either a luxury or waste of time.

Experimentation and play allow creativity to flourish.

When you let yourself play, it is usually without expecting a certain outcome.

That alone allows freedom to try new things or ask what if kinds of questions.

Some of my best jewelry designs have come from that state of playing around and seeing what would happen.

You also tend to be in a more relaxed state when you play.

Play also implies fun. Who doesn’t want more of that? I know I do!

How can you add more play to your life?

P.S. This is one of my whimsical animal prints called Talking Llama

Imagine if joy was your job.  What if it was your responsibility to find happiness in your business and personal life wherever you could?

“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.” Robert Louis Stevenson

What kind of difference would that make for you and the people around you?

There may be times when you feel like there is nothing joyful about your life let alone your job.  But don’t you owe it to yourself and the people around you to pay attention to what brightens your day, what puts a spring in your step?

How could you make things more enjoyable?  What if you made a game of taking routine tasks and added a twist to make them more pleasing?

Even if you can’t be the head Joymaster in your work, you can find dozens of ways to make life more fun at home and work.  And if you are lucky enough to have an entrepreneurial spirit, you can make choices to define your own job and put a priority on joy.

Your ongoing responsibility as Joymaster of your life is to be aware of everything that you are grateful for, everything that puts a smile on your face, and everything that makes your heart skip a beat (in a good way).

I love hearing stories about janitors, school bus drivers, and others who show genuine delight in what they are doing and their enthusiasm becomes contagious.  They remind us that how we do something really does make a difference.

If you choose joy as your job, what might you do differently?

BHG-Black-Cat-Candle-Holders by Johanna Parker Design

Using your creativity just for fun is a nice way to take a well deserved break.

Halloween is just around the corner.   Here are some fun projects and ideas to get you in the mood.

Folk artist Johanna Parker has a couple of projects in the current 2009 Holiday Crafts Magazine by Better Homes and Gardens.  Her Halloween project is a very cute papier mache black cat candle holder.

You should be able to find this magazine in your favorite bookstore or newstand.  It also has several other fun holiday and Christmas project ideas and instructions.  Here is what the cover looks like:

Also from Better Homes and Gardens, check out BHG.com for some fun ideas for decorating pumpkins, including folk art designs and easy no carving designs, decorating outdoors, costumes, and recipes for Halloween parties.

Halloween is a great time to use your imagination and creativity.  What will you do just for the fun of it?

Check this out for more ideas on using your Creativity Just For Fun.