Waking Up and Killing my Playfull Soul

Dear IMA Diary,

After understanding Tom (creativity) a Little bit more and having in mind that it is a process to get innovative ideas, I landed in “playland” and there is an uncomfortable feeling that I cannot avoid, my body do not feel that belongs to that “playland” that sounds fantastic.

Let me explain, I consider myself as a playful person (even when I said that I hate to be kicked into categorized boxes, but I have to accept something in some point), I do not take everything too much serious, I am always playing and dancing around and making silly jokes, my life is a serious game itself (yes, because I am privilege, without too much responsibilities, I have the time to do it and sponsors…), no everybody is able to say that and I am glad that I can. But, when I am in a class room, with desks, white boards, video beams, etc. around and someone comes in with a suspicious smile saying: “I am very happy to be here, today we are going to PLAY”, my playful soul feels like it is being killed. “This is not play” I think, “This is pretend to play” and that stretch barrier between been and pretend is my uncomfortable feeling.

I have struggled with that sensation the whole block (because this is not real time, I am writing this after finishing week number 5), trying to answer that –why- question and I am stuck, however, as in theater improvisation I pronounce to myself these mantras: Don’t block the proposal, accept the ideas, say “yes and” to advance and develop the scene; I pronounce them and continue.

PLAYFULNESS IS AN ATTITUDE – GAMEFULNESS IS A TOOL

Games help to change dynamics, engage participants and make them feel safe and comfortable to speak up ideas without being afraid to fail, in this game proposal nobody has anything to lose. That is the key! when we start to have limits we start thinking that we do have everything to lose.

Welcome to my bubble:

When you decided to open this blog you became a player, a player in my IMA bubble, so please, be welcomed and think about what role do you want to play: The teacher, the friend, the classmate, the stalker, the secret admirer. So, let the game begin…

Statements:

v This is voluntary, leave if you are being pressured.

v Stablish a common goal

v Have fun

v Give feedback

v Follow simple rules

The Rules:

- Open the blog preferable in a computer.

- Be focused about one hour.

- Highlight with red the moments/parts to improve, with green the ones you like the most and with purple the ones in which you felt identified.

- Like, comment, save and share (This is not necessary but I wanted to sound as an influencer)

BONUS

++++ If the participants interact and collaborate together. (Incentive for social connection)

++ Switching role, approach the task form other perspectives (Incentive for empathy)

+++ The motivation should flourish from inside (Self incentive)

How to play: After having chosen the role and understanding the rules, the participants go around –DEAR IMA DIARY- and they highlight the different moments (to improve, preferences and identified), after collecting the data the participants will come back to this window and summarize the information into an appreciative comment. END

I know it is not the best game, nevertheless, I felt the need to make up something to describe the parts of a game without saying they were the parts of a game and right now I am being contradicted anyway.

Dear IMA Diary, that “playland” week was fun and uncomfortable at the same time, I have discovered the importance of understanding different mindsets (when you are learning a new language there are words that you learn because they are essentials and there are others that you learn because you love all around that word, this second situation happened to me with –mindset-) in order to develop them due to needs and expectations. Putting the body and the mind in a play attitude during the safety of a game help in an easier way to create new scenarios, they (body-mind) feel relax and empower to share even the most contradicted, out of place or “silly” ideas. Furthermore, talking about the body, doing before any elaborated thought helps to unblock something that we don’t have specific words at the first time.

Ufff… Deconstruct should be and official cliché word for this Master, is like cutting in little pieces a point of view and place it again into many others being objective form the subjectivity.

Finally, I have to thank Jonathan Clark and his metaphor of the boat (think about the problem as a boat, what is holding back and what help it to move forward) his provocation with hundreds of stickers papers, markers, etc. to express through them. Jessica Weber and her passion with the Breda board game (role game, make decisions, improve the city) and Margo Rooijackers with Lego Serious Game and its importance of doing before speaking, think with the hands and lego bricks; they helped in my thought about the importance of how to “facilitate” a game journey, because I believe that the key to break that uncomfortable feeling, that I mentioned, is the way to engage the players from the beginning.

P.S. Someone asked me if we are in a university or in a kinder garden. “off course in a kinder garden” I answered, it is all about finding our kid inside again.

P.S This blog about playfulness and gamefullness is the less playfulness/gamefulness one.

With love,

My playful soul,

Laura