We don’t always know what we’re going to grow up to be. This week’s guest, AJ Freysteinson, didn’t know, but he followed a play-inspired path from the time he was a child that led him to become one of today’s leading innovators in 3D projection mapping, holographic art, and a lot of other unique and breath-taking visual solutions. You’ll hear what inspires him as well as the guiding principle behind the career decisions he’s made throughout his life. You’ll also hear how he refuels his own fire to keep his creative juices flowing – and it involves a very well-known playground.
It’s easy to point a finger at over-protective parents, but don’t let yourself away with being over-protective of YOU. You’ll be missing all the fun.
It’s so sad, right? Many kids don’t get to run free and play with sticks or climb dangerous jungle gyms anymore. But a lot of study has been done around how important it is for kids to explore and challenge themselves, even when it means they might get hurt.
But as I always wonder, what about us adults? We need play in the same ways that children do – even play that could get a little dangerous. Some adults choose dangerous sporting activities to challenge themselves. We have an awesome sense of accomplishment when we push past a fear and climb that rock face or float down those rapids.
But there’s a whole world beyond sport for those of us who want to challenge ourselves while having a little fun. That’s what this show is about.
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When we were kids, everyone thought it was important for us to play. They even set up this weird thing called “recess” where we could encounter the awesome world of the playground. They knew it was good for us then, but what about now? As adults, no one seems to care about recess for us anymore. It was good for us then, and it’s vital for us now. But how do we find a playground like we had back then? One that’s a world unto itself? I started this show for that very reason. There are no teachers watching out for us now. We have to prioritize play for ourselves.
In this episode, part two of a three-part series on finding a great playground, we’ll revisit Dr. Stuart Brown’s properties of play and how I found them at Burning Man. Like the playground at school – it was a world unto itself. It cut us off from the world of expectations and homework only to leave us with possibility and exploration. We can find it as adults. I found it at Burning Man. I invite you to share with me the other places where you find your own “Secret Gardens” and playgrounds.
We’ll also meet an old friend of mine from the other side of the world who has a very special message for all of us.
Mark Azoulay, “a psychotherapist in Boulder, CO that helps people explore and destroy the unconscious motivations and barriers that cripple them.” Check out his blog!
Dr. Stuart Brown’s book, Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul