(verb)

- engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose
- amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretense

(noun)

- light and constantly changing movement
- the space in or through which a mechanism can or does move

Day 8...let's play!

And what better way than to let the pro's of play lead the way...the young'uns!

The photo duo above is one of my favorite spaces for play in my life - facetime! When you have a niece who lives in a different city, you connect in any way you can. Since this little one was born, I've been facetiming her at least once a week. At first it was mostly about making funny faces. Then it turned into her running around her home with me in hand - very blurry! At some point it became about integrating the phone (aka me!) into her play. I was a real life doll she could "manipulate". I would get shoved into the dollhouse on the regular and often left there to think about what it means to be 3" tall. That's the collection of pics above - my niece placed me in the dollhouse and proceeded to place every single piece of furniture around me...then shut the doors!

I've been loving every second of this space, not only because I get to connect and build a relationship with my niece from miles away. But also because it nudges me to bring play into my life on a weekly basis. Although I bemoan technology on the regular, I am always grateful for this particular space it offers me.

There are other ways I bring play into my spaces, mostly through cultivating the activities that make me feel like I am at play. My two favorites are sewing and playing music.

If you're anything like me, life gets busy and my personal actives get pushed aside. I'm not sure there's any way around it, it's the ebb and flow of life. So instead of trying to force a certain path, I simply make sure that my play-based activities are visible and easily accessible on a daily basis. That way, if I have some space to give them attention, there are fewer barriers to get started. It doesn't have to be much, take a look below:

Music and creating with my hands are my play languages. I love making something out of nothing or repurposing an old piece of fabric into something new. So, to keep these at the ready, I've given them space in my apartment. The sewing machine and supplies lives in a small metal storage unit next to my kitchen table. I found that unit on the street a few weeks back and it has provided the perfect home for these tools of play!

The baritone ukulele also has a home - propped up in its own seat in my living area. It's simple to grab it on my way to winding down for the night or take a mid-day break to play and give my mind a break.

One last thing before we take a pause for the day: incorporating play out in the world.

I know, this may seem a little silly or impractical or (sometimes) downright embarrassing. But it's so fun! It's what led to me being the only person in the middle of that pre-show waiting space I mentioned Day 02; I was really just playing with the space, moving in it, observing it, and getting curious about how it was constructed.

I encourage you to find moments of play as you move through the world. One of my most favorite ways is through the site-specific art I encounter in the city, but I find that I play with space regardless of an artistic intent. That's a deeper discussion for another day so let me leave you with two examples of how I notice and participate in play in social spaces:

The photo on the left is an art installation a few years back at the Invisible Dog gallery in Brooklyn. It was such a nice moment of levity and light play to come across while walking down the street, I couldn't help but pause and indulge! (Bonus, you can notice these moments of play in storefront windows, glass elevators, bus windows, etc...)

The photo on the right is a small amphitheater behind the Park Slope Library branch. I noticed that little bunny sitting by itself and made up a little story about why it was there - what a sweet nugget of imagination I added to my day.

Where can you add or support an element of play in your physical and intangible spaces? 

A DAY FOR PAUSE

Every 4th day we will take a moment to pause the journal prompts.

Some of the themes we talk about can be difficult to process and may bring up feelings that take a minute to work through. If learning how to create space is the goal, let's be intentional and build in some space for absorbing, looking back, and taking pause.

For today there will be no journal prompts, just a reminder to make space to breathe and regroup. If you feel moved, please hit reply and let me know how things are going for you!

This wraps Day 8...thank you for taking time to explore spacemaking from a place of play!

If you feel inspired to share any takeaways, examples in your own home, or questions that came up for you, please access any Spatial Medium social media account. Please be sure to add #12daysofspacemaking and tag @spatialmedium so I can see what you post.