So I remembered hearing about 'play personalities' on a Headspace meditation a while back. I looked it up - believe it or not, there's a National Institute of Play, and this guy Dr. Stuart Brown has defined eight different play personalities. They are the styles in which we are most comfortable being playful. And they definitely helped to broaden my view of 'play'. Based on this, I think you embody four of them - but which one are you most comfortable being playful in?
The competitor - access the euphoria and creativity of play by participating in a competitive game with specific rules.
The explorer - exploring can be physical (literally going to new places), emotional (searching for a new feeling or a deepening of the familiar through music, movement), or mental (researching a new subject or seeking out new points of view).
The kinesthete - like to move and naturally want to push their bodies and feel the result (dancing, walking, etc).
The storyteller - for the storyteller, imagination is the key to the joys of play (which you've honed through video games per your prior essay). They may find their greatest joy in reading the novels and watching the movies created by others.
Wow, that's really cool! Thank you for sharing that. I'd never heard of that before, but it definitely expands my thoughts on the topic.
I thought about a few of those types, for example the explorer, and also one I call "the builder." But I thought of those more as rewards as play rather than styles of play. But I like this paradigm.
I'd say I feel most at home as the kinesthete. I love fighting sports, and I'm more dedicated to the fitness activities that support them than anything else. I also love dancing, and physical touch is probably my most sensitive love language.
I'd say the explorer is a close second, as I love traveling and backpacking and learning/studying. I think even reading stories is a hybrid of exploring and storytelling, because I get to explore another person's world and worldview.
But I think the storyteller is the most valuable of all, and the one I'm trying to lean into the most these days. I love to enjoy and analyze other people's stories (books, movies, games, etc.), but telling my own is hard. However, I think stories are fundamentally what humans are about, what moves us, and what creates change. So I want to keep trying to be a better storyteller.
That was really fun to think about! What about you? I'm guessing the joker and the explorer are two strong ones haha.
So I remembered hearing about 'play personalities' on a Headspace meditation a while back. I looked it up - believe it or not, there's a National Institute of Play, and this guy Dr. Stuart Brown has defined eight different play personalities. They are the styles in which we are most comfortable being playful. And they definitely helped to broaden my view of 'play'. Based on this, I think you embody four of them - but which one are you most comfortable being playful in?
The competitor - access the euphoria and creativity of play by participating in a competitive game with specific rules.
The explorer - exploring can be physical (literally going to new places), emotional (searching for a new feeling or a deepening of the familiar through music, movement), or mental (researching a new subject or seeking out new points of view).
The kinesthete - like to move and naturally want to push their bodies and feel the result (dancing, walking, etc).
The storyteller - for the storyteller, imagination is the key to the joys of play (which you've honed through video games per your prior essay). They may find their greatest joy in reading the novels and watching the movies created by others.
Wow, that's really cool! Thank you for sharing that. I'd never heard of that before, but it definitely expands my thoughts on the topic.
I thought about a few of those types, for example the explorer, and also one I call "the builder." But I thought of those more as rewards as play rather than styles of play. But I like this paradigm.
I'd say I feel most at home as the kinesthete. I love fighting sports, and I'm more dedicated to the fitness activities that support them than anything else. I also love dancing, and physical touch is probably my most sensitive love language.
I'd say the explorer is a close second, as I love traveling and backpacking and learning/studying. I think even reading stories is a hybrid of exploring and storytelling, because I get to explore another person's world and worldview.
But I think the storyteller is the most valuable of all, and the one I'm trying to lean into the most these days. I love to enjoy and analyze other people's stories (books, movies, games, etc.), but telling my own is hard. However, I think stories are fundamentally what humans are about, what moves us, and what creates change. So I want to keep trying to be a better storyteller.
That was really fun to think about! What about you? I'm guessing the joker and the explorer are two strong ones haha.
Love this essay...reading it as I prepare for a tennis match this morning!!!