Podcast – Episode 26 – Playfulness and

                                                                    Cartoon Voices

Written by Ségolène

January 28, 2021

Why is the state of play so important to us?

Why should we ALWAYS strive to distill some of that playfulness in everything we do?

Why is it even more important to reconnect to this emotion now?

These are some of the stuff we’re discussing in this week’s episode.  

And in order to lead us to these answers, I start by asking you a couple of questions about… The cartoons you used to watch as a child. 

Because, these, as well as the books and games you played, were a way for you to hone your imagination.

The games you and your friends and siblings played, were influenced by what your child’s mind had received. You tried on different voices, different personas, switched physicality… 

It was a moment of exploration

So… What’s the Cartoon Voice, then? 

It’s not just the voice from the television, or the voice that you heard inside your
head when you read books and comics. 

The “Cartoon Voice” is the voice of your childhood games. The one that for a lot of
people, is told to disappear, to move on as you grow up. 
Because life is a serious matter.

And in many ways, it is, yes. But if we only focus on the seriousness and the gavity of situations, then we’re also shushing and censoring a part of ourselves. 

As humans, as the social animals that we are, we need to experiment, to have fun
throughout this process. Yes, there are moments where the playing or joking around
is not welcome, or ideal. And through the experiences you’ve had growing up
you’ve 
been able to identify when those times were. 

But now that you’ve grown. Now that you are capable of seeing where you cannot
play… Make sure you leave some space in the other areas of your life TO PLAY.

SO…

What can playfulness do for you? 

You’d be surprised at the benefits that it can have on your wellbeing. 

You see, when we play, when we’re letting loose, we’re allowing that voice of our childhood back in, and therefore also our imagination and creative power. 

If you decide that the floor is lava,  then the floor is lava. 
Next step is for you to see how you’ll navigate this terrain, and how you’ll get from your chair to the couch without touching the floor.

You’ve put new parameters in place and must now adapt to them.

If you can’t go left, then you have to go in another direction. 

If there is a log or some obstacle on your path, then you find away to climb over or go under. 

You train your mind to see and find new possibilities

Isn’t that something we need to look after? Our ability to see and connect to potentials and infinities? 

The power of adaptation is one that stops us from breaking apart. Too much rigidity, too many rules create a structure that cannot bend.

What doesn’t bend, breaks. 

Playfulness prevents that break, by nutrturing a flexible mind. 

It also, prevents self-censorship and fosters a freer expression. 

When you were playing as a child, you were letting your personality, your vision of the world shine through. And more often then not, you were not letting yourself be stopped by the fear of how it’s going to be received. You just dealt with the reactions and suggestions as the came. 

So, if you decided to jump in every puddle, because you liked the sound it made, because it gave you a goal and made you a puddle-expert, a water musician, invited you to find the quickest route from one puddle to the next…

You did not let yourself be stopped. You had a goal in mind, a target. The sounds you made with your feet in that water, was unique to you. You were care-free. 

Can you bring some of this Voice back in?  How can you PLAY more in your everyday tasks? 

Could you practice your funky walk in your living room? 
Could you splash some paint on a canvas, or a piece of paper? 
Could you give your food a funny shape? 
Or even pretend that the floor is lava?

There’s so many realms for you to experiment with. 

I give you more examples in this week’s episode… Including my mini-pastries moment from a couple of weeks ago haha!

 

Have fun and play!

Love, 

Ségo xx