Hi, friends.

I hope this post finds you well. I visited a local craft fair yesterday, which was really interesting. There were a wide variety of stalls selling everything from quilts to glass jewellery, to….wooden spinning tops. There were many beautiful items, but what intrigued me most were the wooden spinning tops. John Fells took great delight in demonstrating the various designs he has come up with, including some string-powered tops. These spin for quite some time.

The conversation we had whilst he demonstrated was excellent. He also had other wooden wares for sale, but hinted that he could happily spend the rest of his time making variations on the spinning top theme. Even as I write this, I remain awed by the level of depth in which Mr. Fells has explored this theme. Hardly aware of what I was saying at the time, I remarked: ‘When your life’s work is play, how can you go wrong?’

To me, as creative individuals, it makes sense that we should strive to make our lives as playful as possible. Having rediscovered myself recently, and also my creative drive, I am enjoying living on the edge of possibility. We need only be open to allowing shifts to happen, and wonderful things come in.
As writers, it is perhaps easier for us to play than it is for most. Our lives revolve around the control of fictional lives, in which we would like to believe we have absolute agency. Of course, our characters so often prove us wrong that it is laughable. It is always far worse when they stop communicating, and leave it up to us to decide the next move.

In that moment yesterday, I learned that to embrace play is to embrace life itself. There truly is no better way to live than this. A life of play is in itself a life of possibility, and that’s a lesson I am truly grateful to have learned. I’d love to hear about some of your greatest lessons in the comments.