I’ve been thinking about how for the two years I was allowed to go to high school I got SO into drama class. I’ve been really enjoying watching improv shows on Dropout recently and I’m terrified / excited by thinking about taking an improv class at some point in my future! For now I just have fun doing random improv prompts with my 9yo :) We giggle a LOT.
I have taken an improv class a couple times over the last few years and it was so fun! It was for beginners so most people there had never done it before and it was so great. Everybody was so supportive and just there to play. I highly recommend it! I suppose though it depends on the teacher and the group, but my experience was so fun and I think you would like it! :) Sometimes my husband and I will play improv games together at night. Just because its fun! :)
My first thought was "But I don't play!" because even as a child I generally preferred reading a book, and I hate when I'mforced to play silly team building games at work.. But then I realized that under your expanded definition of play, things like reading, listening to kpop, or going for a walk could be considered play, too! So thank you for that. 😀
Stimming through dancing and vibing to music brings me a lot of joy! I'm very slowly working towards not feeling ashamed or embarrassed when expressing myself through, let's be honest, very white girl dancing. My parents used to give me weird looks after a certain age when I'd start grooving to music that wasn't classical music. I've also been mid-plus size since I was in high school, so most kinds of movement were interpreted as "sexual" because when I move, well....everything moves whether I want it to or not lol. Gotta love being viewed through a sexual lens as a teen!
I’m sorry that you were shamed and sexualized for dancing. But I love that you found dancing to be a playful way that brings you joy! Keep dancing! I’m cheering you on!
I LOVE tabletop games but my family hasn’t been into them and I’ve become disconnected from other folks who play and honestly loving my solo time. I visited a game store with an extensive game library and learned a lot about 1 player games that are actually fun to play solo. I now have a growing collection of strategy games that I love playing solo!! I’m so glad I found a way to get games back in my life!
I loved your talk about Childlikeness. I have embraced childlike interests a lot this last year, and it’s been so healing. And my immediate family has been the most encouraging, letting me know it’s not childish at every turn and who cares what anyone thinks if it brings me joy.
this was interesting to read! I definitely know some people who are not able to play and it just hit me why I might rub them wrong!
When my kids were little it really brought out that playfulness in me and it made me realize how amazing it is to watch someone play and just feel safe to do so!
Re: Rubbing people the wrong way…this definitely happens and it’s not a reflection of us; it can be because of their own insecurities or because they can’t/won’t access the playful part of themselves. And maybe that’s because of things they’ve been through in life. I don’t know. I let them take their journey but I’ve had to work on being my most authentic self around them and not diminishing my playfulness to conform to their inability to engage with play. For example, I have someone in my life who isn’t playful at all (that I love very much) and I asked them “If you could be a character in any musical, who would it be?” And they replied in all seriousness, almost reprimanding bc they thought it was a ridiculous question, “Most people don’t dream of being in musicals, Hannah.” I just laughed and said, “Then I feel sorry for most people.” Like, as long as I know I’m being appropriate and respectful for the moment when I choose to let my playfulness out, if someone’s gonna respond like that, I refuse to be shamed for being innocently playful. Keep doing your playful thing!
This is so cool! I just started a group called Virtual Adult Preschool where we gather on zoom to engage in laughter, animal noises, non-verbal intonation and babbling, and other silly activities to reboot the nervous system. If any of y’all vibe with that, shoot me an email at starchilddruid@gmail.com.
I’ve been thinking about how for the two years I was allowed to go to high school I got SO into drama class. I’ve been really enjoying watching improv shows on Dropout recently and I’m terrified / excited by thinking about taking an improv class at some point in my future! For now I just have fun doing random improv prompts with my 9yo :) We giggle a LOT.
I have taken an improv class a couple times over the last few years and it was so fun! It was for beginners so most people there had never done it before and it was so great. Everybody was so supportive and just there to play. I highly recommend it! I suppose though it depends on the teacher and the group, but my experience was so fun and I think you would like it! :) Sometimes my husband and I will play improv games together at night. Just because its fun! :)
My first thought was "But I don't play!" because even as a child I generally preferred reading a book, and I hate when I'mforced to play silly team building games at work.. But then I realized that under your expanded definition of play, things like reading, listening to kpop, or going for a walk could be considered play, too! So thank you for that. 😀
Stimming through dancing and vibing to music brings me a lot of joy! I'm very slowly working towards not feeling ashamed or embarrassed when expressing myself through, let's be honest, very white girl dancing. My parents used to give me weird looks after a certain age when I'd start grooving to music that wasn't classical music. I've also been mid-plus size since I was in high school, so most kinds of movement were interpreted as "sexual" because when I move, well....everything moves whether I want it to or not lol. Gotta love being viewed through a sexual lens as a teen!
I’m sorry that you were shamed and sexualized for dancing. But I love that you found dancing to be a playful way that brings you joy! Keep dancing! I’m cheering you on!
I LOVE tabletop games but my family hasn’t been into them and I’ve become disconnected from other folks who play and honestly loving my solo time. I visited a game store with an extensive game library and learned a lot about 1 player games that are actually fun to play solo. I now have a growing collection of strategy games that I love playing solo!! I’m so glad I found a way to get games back in my life!
I loved your talk about Childlikeness. I have embraced childlike interests a lot this last year, and it’s been so healing. And my immediate family has been the most encouraging, letting me know it’s not childish at every turn and who cares what anyone thinks if it brings me joy.
this was interesting to read! I definitely know some people who are not able to play and it just hit me why I might rub them wrong!
When my kids were little it really brought out that playfulness in me and it made me realize how amazing it is to watch someone play and just feel safe to do so!
Re: Rubbing people the wrong way…this definitely happens and it’s not a reflection of us; it can be because of their own insecurities or because they can’t/won’t access the playful part of themselves. And maybe that’s because of things they’ve been through in life. I don’t know. I let them take their journey but I’ve had to work on being my most authentic self around them and not diminishing my playfulness to conform to their inability to engage with play. For example, I have someone in my life who isn’t playful at all (that I love very much) and I asked them “If you could be a character in any musical, who would it be?” And they replied in all seriousness, almost reprimanding bc they thought it was a ridiculous question, “Most people don’t dream of being in musicals, Hannah.” I just laughed and said, “Then I feel sorry for most people.” Like, as long as I know I’m being appropriate and respectful for the moment when I choose to let my playfulness out, if someone’s gonna respond like that, I refuse to be shamed for being innocently playful. Keep doing your playful thing!
This is so cool! I just started a group called Virtual Adult Preschool where we gather on zoom to engage in laughter, animal noises, non-verbal intonation and babbling, and other silly activities to reboot the nervous system. If any of y’all vibe with that, shoot me an email at starchilddruid@gmail.com.