The playful wonderland behind great inventions: the need for PLAY

Below is a short TED talk by Steven Johnson about the necessity of PLAY for innovation and invention. Turns out necessity was not its mother after all. In fact it is playfulness, and the opportunity for new ideas to emerge. And it feels like a good reminder - as we emerge from our wintery states, into the sunshine (and rains and hail!!) of Spring.

Some of the greatest innovations, inventions and developments have happened by happy accident - as a playful mind turns to ‘what if…?’. This kind of emergence requires a freedom to explore and placing value on play - easier said than done when we are busy working mothers.

I think this is a thought provoking video, and gets me to think about the ‘what ifs…?’ emerging in my life. I often charge on without thinking - working my way through the things that need to get done. Sometimes I allow myself the chance to ask ‘does it need to be like that…?’ or ‘what if I chose that instead…?’ and suddenly new opportunities brew and something new emerges.

This kind of emergence allows us to feel more in control of our choices - even if it appears we are leaving a lot of chance encounters. I’m comfortable with happy accidents, serendipity, synchronicity. It can feel risky - but enlivening when it happens!