Amber Clisura is a force of nature. The good kind. And she has some very strong feelings about the vitality of play to share with us in this episode. She believes that how we play can shape our own lives as well as help to open up the possibility of joy and fun in the lives of others.
She’s part of a community dedicated to song and pure play called Jerk Church that began in Oakland, California. They’re irreverent and fun, but they’re also dedicated to giving back. At Jerk Church, doing good deeds is never a drag. Learn more about the Jerks as well as Amber’s personal take on how our attitudes toward play shape our perspectives on career, hard work and what it means to “follow our bliss.” (Believe me, it’s not what you’re expecting.)
Enjoy!
Show Notes & Links:
As the post-election storms continue to rock the world, a group of play enthusiasts are coming together to ask the question, can play help us heal from this divisiveness and turmoil? One Facebook post really caught my imagination. It was entitled, “Can Play Save Us?” Mathias Poulsen, Co-founder & Chairman of the Board of the NGO CounterPlay in Denmark, began his post by saying, “I need to act.” He went on to explain how a playful perspective is more vital than ever right now and therefore, so is his crusade. Between his words and the many inspiring comments, I’m re-energized to keep going as well.
So this episode is my refection on what I’ve been learning so far about play from PlayGrounding guests and how we might be able to answer the question, can play save us? In a special conversation with Amanda Coolong, Co-Chairman of the Board at WITI - Women In Technology International and former PlayGrounding guest, actress Michelle Barton, we’ll look at how play can pull us out of negative, non-productive thought patterns and open us up to inspiration and action. We’ll also learn from other former guests, Meg Athavale and Megan Sadd about play’s role in battling addiction and depression.
This is not my way of definitively answering Mathias’ question. It’s my starting place. I hope many more voices join in to help answer the questions he poses in his call for proposals for the CounterPlay Festival/Conference in 2017:
We wish to explore the potential role of playful participation, for individuals, communities and society at large. How might it facilitate a stronger sense of agency and become a catalyst of adaptability and change? In what ways can play inspire and encourage us to question the status quo and challenge the rules? When will our innate playfulness spark our imagination and curiosity, and will it enable us to see that the world could be transformed into something else? Should we consider play a political act that can shape societies? Could it even make democracy come alive through new forms of participation? Can play bolster our courage, so we dare to speak out and challenge established power structures and hierarchies?
Let’s start figuring it out together.
“If you think about the human spirit – if we were to evolve to our highest state – what is that? It’s play.” – Artist Patrick Shearn
Patrick Shearn is an artist and founder of Poetic Kinetics. He creates interactive, experimental art installations such as the recent Liquid Shard, a beautiful temporary installation above Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. Made of holographic mylar that spanned 15,000 square feet, it rode on the wind up to 115 feet in the air. Liquid Shard brought hundreds of people out of their offices each day to enjoy lunch in the park who wouldn't ordinarly have left their cubicles.
Patrick and his team are also responsible for incredible art pieces at festivals like Burning Man and Coachella. In 2013, they created an 80-foot snail called “Helix Poeticus,” in 2014, the 36-foot tall astronaut called “Escape Velocity” (affectionately dubbed “The Coachella Astronaut”), and a double piece in 2015 called "Caterpillar’s Longing" – a giant colorful caterpillar and butterfly that shaded festival-goers from the sun with its giant wings.
But this interview is about much more than just Patrick’s art. He’s very passionate about instigating play in the lives of those around him. He encourages us grown-ups to see that our wild ideas can STILL be possible, and it all starts with making play at integral part of our lives.
You’ll hear how his philosophy of life springs out of an unusual childhood where he was encouraged to run with his wildest ideas, to figure things out on his own at a young age, to explore the unknown and follow his instincts.