The Multitudes of Expression
Creative work is a gift to the world and every being in it. – A. Kay
Photo credit: Andryce Andres
Play as Expression, and Survival
June 2026
Play is a child’s work.
Play is a form of expression.
It is the thread that weaves a tapestry of language, logic, empathy, reflection, creativity, imagination, personal insight, sustained attention, self‑advocacy, negotiation, relationship‑building, emotional understanding, and the development of their human body, brain, and Heart.
Through play, children rehearse the skills of being human.
They test ideas, stretch their imaginations, practice boundaries, and discover what brings them joy. Play is not a break from learning – it is learning.
It is the way children make sense of themselves and the world, moment by moment, gesture by gesture, story by story.
Play is where communication blooms. It is where children learn to listen, to lead, to follow, to repair, to imagine new possibilities. It is where they learn that their ideas matter, their voices matter, and their needs deserve to be honored.
“Children’s play is about children – their expression of themselves in relation to the world around them and what they hold as true inside themselves.” (Butler, 2022)
In essence, play is both a mirror and a doorway: a mirror that reflects the child’s becoming, and a doorway into the world they are learning to navigate.
As we grow from children into adults, play changes shape.
It becomes more than expression; it becomes sanity, survival, a way back to ourselves.
“The opposite of play isn’t work – it’s depression.” (Dingfelder, 2024)
Play may look light, but it is ancient and essential, woven into the biology of mammals, perhaps all vertebrates – as necessary as sleep, as grounding as breath.
Play is the spark behind human’s greatest inventions, our art, our science, our leaps of innovation.
It is how we practice meeting uncertainty with courage.
And in adulthood, play becomes a form of love.
It builds relationships, sustains them, softens them.
Social play is cooperative – its goal is not to win, but to keep the game alive.
Take turns. Make room. Stay curious. Invite others.
Photo credit: Andryce Andres
Photo credit: Andryce Andres
Adult play invites inclusivity, creativity, adaptability, and shared humanity.
It reminds us that joy is intelligence, and imagination is a lifelong survival skill.
May we look to children for inspiration, inviting the inner child in each of us to play.
May we sink into play together, connecting with one another and back to ourselves.
May we join children in their work to rediscover our own humanity, sharing in the joy and beauty of what it means to be alive.
Come, join us in play!
References
Butler, M. (2022, April 14). Play as Truth. Fred Rogers Institute. https://www.fredrogersinstitute.org/resources/play-as-truth
Dingfelder, S. (2024, Jan). We Need Play, Seriously. National Geographic: Saving the Monarchs, Vol. 245 (No.1), 19-22.
Photo credit: Andryce Andres
The Gift of Expression
May 2026
May we embody
the spider weaving,
the beaver building,
the bee crafting.
Albeit fleeting –
with the power of the wind,
the force of the current,
the death of the season –
Earth takes, swallows the creation, ends the formation.
Still, the artists dedicate themselves to their craft;
it is the gift they give to the world that birthed them.
Words are Only a Piece of a Whole
April 2026
Three distinct ages – young, middle aged, elder – expressing three distinct poems.
Notice the overlap use of words. Notice how different the messages are. Notice the sounds and images and feelings that change between each.
Words are only a piece of a whole.
Creative Expression
March 2026
Children don’t learn language – they breathe it in laughter, in dirt, in song, alive in experience.
Until the moment the world speaks back:
“Trees aren’t purple.”
“You’re singing outside of the lines.”
“Oh…that’s nice.”
Suddenly, eyes judge, numbers rank, percentiles weigh in..
The heart’s thread of words, of play, of wonder, shrinks beneath the shadow of “correct.”
How do we return to embodied creativity?
To living language? To our messy joy?
How do we playfully explore the depths of our heart, humor, and humanness? How can we revive the spirit of creative expression and playful exploration for children?
Give the gift of authenticity, grounded in presence, and full of rich meaningful language. Hold the space of stillness and “I wonder”. Give yourself permission to play, to create, and to imagine. In turn you are innately inviting others, including the children you love, to join in.
