When you’re lost for words, play

What do you do when you’re lost for words? Play with materials that contain lots of sentences and catchy phrases.

A few years ago, I discovered blackout poetry thanks to Austin Kleon. At first, I thought it was just a fun hobby of his, but turns out he made an entire book out of them.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about writer’s block. There comes a time when you have to face a blank page with zero ideas in your head. It’s normal. Sooner or later, it happens to the best of writers in any field.

I believe a playful approach is a good idea to get rid of that block. After all, our brains are constantly looking to play. As I’ve been thinking about what “playfulness” means to me, I decided to make my own blackout poems to clear my head and giggle at the result.

Later on, I return to my writing project with a different mindset, and I’m able to put one word after another again. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes of your time to relax and do something fun. It doesn’t have to make sense.

So here’s my most recent poems:

Questionable Choices

Snowbirds

Visitors

What do you do when you’re lost for words?

Playtime: When your job as an adult involves having fun

I once read that playtime is essential to any creative activity. A person simply can’t be creative if there isn’t scheduled time to play, no matter what their job is or how time consuming their tasks can be on any given day.

This reminds me of some initiatives that companies have taken: assigning special spaces in the workplace to play ping-pong, video games and other games. Their objective is to encourage their collaborators to take a break and have fun.

“How can I make time to play if I’m already an adult, and I have a lot of responsibilities?” Life can certainly feel overwhelming at times, but pushing aside playtime can aggravate health.

Play and creativity are mechanisms of action.

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