Do you struggle to find motivation?
Do you struggle to find solutions?
Did you play enough as a child?
Today we explore the relationship between having good motivation, i.e. having a reason to act, and having played freely as a child.
But what does this have to do with … you might say?
Playing prepares us for life, for the role-playing games we will do when we grow up!
It is in kindergarten that we lay the foundations for our adult lives.
As soon as we are born, we are genuine, authentic. We are in tune with what is going on inside us.
When we start moving, crawling, we begin to discover the world. Attracted by colours, shapes, tastes and feelings, we move through space. We do not make decisions consciously, but the movement goes towards realizing our potential, towards satisfying our curiosity, towards pleasure. We have it in us to be the best version of ourselves. We move through space, just as sprouts grow in the sun. It’s a spontaneous movement. Motivation at that age is very strong.
Awareness develops around 18 months: we begin to have the need to define ourselves.
We build our image and our way of interacting with the world, we start to differentiate ourselves. We develop a sense of self by interacting with others, in relationships.
If a child is told NO at every attempt, he or she is likely to lose the desire to explore. Very few children have the energy to really rebel when they are young.
Do you remember this time?
I remember very well my colouring basket and my painting jacket.
I spent hours colouring, colouring what I wanted, how I wanted, in a safe space.
Not on the walls, so there were rules.
Creative expression is pure play. Through drawing we express our world, not yet filtered by thought. There are just colours, sometimes shapes, and nameless emotions. Any lived experience can become a drawing. Even silence.
Almost all my classes include 10 minutes of music, where I invite everyone to move spontaneously. We can shake, jump, stand on the floor. Spontaneous movement is different from dancing, because you don’t need to follow the rhythm, we can move however we want. Then we move on to representing the experience with colours.
Every class behaves differently, it is beautiful to observe.
Those who express themselves spontaneously have certainly experienced free play as a child, there is no hesitation, there is no thought, there is movement and production, a whole.
Then there are those who think about it a bit, who think about what to draw. There are those who find it hard to let go, those who need to control and do the right thing.
And then there are always those who ask me “what should I draw?”.
Creativity is expression, pure expression. Sometimes it is blocked because we are not used to freely expressing what we feel. Sometimes it’s hard to even feel.
When children play freely, spontaneously, their motivation is very high.
The adult is there, he is present, he prepares the space, a safe place, but he does not interfere in the game. In this way we allow the child to develop autonomy, to explore, to get bored, to find difficulties and then find a solution. Self-esteem is nurtured, it grows.
It is in kindergarten that we lay the foundation for our adult lives.
Genuine self-esteem enables us to identify and cultivate the resources we need to not be afraid of life, to explore new opportunities and to face life’s challenges.
This is fundamental for the development of our potential.
How was it for you?
Have you ever experienced free play?
Have you played enough?
If you feel that you have missed this experience, and you feel that today you would like to be more in touch with your creativity, then you are in the right place.
I have found a tool that allows us to be very creative online as well, and I would like to organise a webinar on the 12th of May, do you like it?
I look forward to seeing you next week, with an extra bit of authenticity!
Photo by Marco Tonella
