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Ways to use play in our creative
endeavors
Using play - a diversion of the mind
The first way to play - subconscious processing
A second way to play - play under observation
A third way to play - playing with another
A fourth way to play - a returning
It most cases when we use play in our creative endeavors, we will be
starting either well within the imposed limits and barriers of our
mind or we will be close to it moving past those limits and
barriers in a rather well defined area. The methods proposed here
start at this point and allow us to
lose ourselves in play turning our play
into a
creative play. The greater our play can become creative play
and move to the
play of what is symbolized
in our heart, the greater
creative possibilities we will find.
Using play - a diversion of the mind
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For our creative efforts, play can be used in four primary ways.
Each is somewhat dependent on the type and kind of information we
seek or what we desire to create. Each way depends on establishing a
clear intention for what we desire to accomplish. In this regard,
the first thing we need to do in all cases is establish
clarity of intention and look to see what feeling we are desiring to create by
holding that intention or to obtain in manifesting that intention.
There are only two fixed things in any of these processes of play.
One is to maintain a very
clear intention as to what we wish to
create and hold it with unwavering faith and trust that the
creative/creation process will lead us to manifest it. The second is
to align with the flow of energy to the extent possible and follow
it with the spontaneity of that flow outside the control of the
mind. This is done by looking to our
intuitive guidance and
honoring the guidance we get. The rest is pure play. If is not the
spontaneous and innocent childlike play of discovery and exploration
as to how to create the reality of our choice then it is at least a
play that is amusing and not taken seriously where we are free and
lighthearted in a continuous and sustained fashion.
The reason why play is key to moving toward the
most powerful state
of creativity and provides the greatest vehicle to manifest any
creative endeavor is because it can provide a diversion to the
mind.
It creates experiences such that
mind does not become trapped in
time and thinking, analyzing, judging and waiting for its creation
to manifest.
Ideally the play that is discussed here is the play as it would be
to create a state of
play as it would be experienced by an young
innocent child living in the wonderment of Creation and at the
discover and exploration of Creation. It is about living in the
spontaneity of the moment and letting the flow of energy within us
leading our effort and being out of the thinking, judging and
analyzing
mind. For an adult, that is obviously difficult to do for
we do have many concerns that our mind finds difficult to escape.
The idea is to move towards this spontaneous
state of being without
making this state of being “the goal” to be reached. Otherwise, if
this becomes our goal,
play of what is symbolized
in the heart
cannot be obtain and will be lost if accessed. Rather we will become
stuck in
play of the
mind. Any goal we attempt to achieve is
something being imposed by
mind. This is why it is said we must use
play to
lose ourselves in play and allow the play to turn into
creative play. If we try and create creative play, we are in mind
and will never be able to live mind to experience the creative play
we desire to create.
Play of the
mind and what the
mind thinks is useful only up to the
extent mind is willing to
surrender
to the play itself. It needs to
be remembered one does not have to return to the
play of what is symbolized
in the heart. Our mind only needs to allow us to play in
a space that is large enough that mind does not step in and
interfere with the play. Remember, the purpose of the play is to
divert the mind.
For us to move toward being in
creative play and toward the
most
creative state of being, there are some things that will need to be
accomplished. The first and biggest issue is that to allow ourselves
to be in the
innocent play of a young child, we will need to work
though all the reasons why they shut down this
state of being as a
young child. It needs to be realized in whatever form of play is
selected, as soon as we moves into any situation that reminds us of
the past and why we shut down our ability to be the
play of what is symbolized by the heart as a child, we will shutdown again unless we
are very mindful and aware of what is happening.
The greatest asset we can develop is to learn to discern
what the
heart wants from the what the
mind wants and learn to use the
feelings of the heart as an
internal guidance system. To do this we
most probably will need to pro-actively use our
intuitive guidance
to get us there. Although intuitive guidance does come quite
naturally to each of us, most of us are not taught of is existence
let alone how to use it. To use it we need to be mindful of our
thoughts to recognize it.
For many of us, we may have to spend a little time developing and
learning to trust our
intuitive guidance. To do so, we need to learn
to be
open to feeling to be free to allow our body to feel and
allows ourselves to be in what we feeling. We need to learn to allow
our feelings to lead. It is to learn to be free to go where the
feeling lead. It is to learn to allow what we feel to set the
intention and direction for our life and use
mind to attend to the
details to make it happen. In this regard, we may face moving to
deal with any addictions and/or response patters that we sue that do
not allow us to feel and what we may have been using to diver our
attention and awareness away from feeling.
To use play in our creative endeavors, we will have to create a
safe space in which to play so that
mind does not have to worry about
protecting us from the external world. In essence, we have to take
way any excuse mind will use to reenter the picture. More often than
not, mind will reenter the picture whenever it perceives a safety
issue, real or imaginary.
Whenever
mind says “no” or “stop” owe will have to look at why mind
is stepping in to stop our actions and then address the reason. We
will have to face the fears and concerns of the mind whether they
are real or illusionary for until mind gets out of the way, we
cannot play. In many ways, before we can play, we will have to
relearn what it is to play and see how our mind doesn’t really allow
us and give us the freedom to play.
It does need to be noted here that we are each very unique
creations. What true play looks like for me is not what my
mind
thinks or your mind thinks but rather it is where my
creative life energy is flowing. It may be very different from yours and we each
need to be free to play the way that we need to play. What we will
come to find, is that the more we play in a way that accesses the
passion of our heart and aligns with our creative life energy, we
will surface the
reason for our incarnation. Additionally, the
greater the creativity we will come to see in our life and what can
only be called “magic” will be in our life. You will come to see
reality completely different.
The first three was to use play as described where are to use play
as defined by the
mind and what mind considers a
safe and secure space to play. For most, with a little practice,
play of the
mind is
more than adequate for most creative endeavors. The fourth way
discusses returning to the state of play which we brought with us
when we were born.
The first way to play - subconscious processing
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The first and easiest why to use play is to use it in a
subconsciously way more as a diversionary way to allow the
subconscious to do the work. Here we can use almost any concept of
play the
mind holds for the conscious
mind is occupied by the play
whatever it is perceived to be and the subconscious does the work.
In effect the controlling mind is out of the way. To use play
subconsciously, we set the
clear intention and then go off in play
doing whatever we like to do. The insights and directions as to how
to proceed and what you need to do will simply arise within our
being in our
intuitive guidance. Or they will come to us in some
seemingly magical or mystical fashion as in synchronicity. To use
this technique, we will need to be mindful and aware of our thoughts
so we can recognize the insights when we get them.
Ideally, we then need to act on what comes working though any
obstacles.
Mind should work to make what arise from our
intuitive guidance a
physical experience in some way
and/or act on the synchronicity which occurs. We need to be aware
that since we are in the
play of the
mind, the mind usually steps in
and judges and biases the information we get. If we keep at the
process we will eventually get to what we intend if we hold the
focus of our attention. In this form of play, little to no issue of
the past which blocks the flow of our
creative life energy can be expected to arise. The reason is all is being
worked subconsciously. Anything that would interfere from the past
remains subconscious and our subconscious mind simply works its
solution in a different way. In this process, we simply iterate the
process until we achieve what we desire.
One note does need to be made here. In this process the
mind does
work at a subconscious level. If there is
blocked energy
to be release sometimes we suffer and
accident or illness to
dissipate the
blocked energy. When we start this process we sent the intention to
allow the work to be done at the subconscious level and work at the
subconscious level it will. It should not be a surprise that we set
the intention to use play as a diversion and start our play we often
have an illness or accident that seems to thwart our play. In these
situations we need to look carefully if the illness and/or accident
are not leading us directly to the solution we seek. We need to
remember what it really means to work at the subconscious level.
This realization should not make us afraid. Rather it should just
bring our awareness to the fact of how much of our creativity is
done subconsciously and the multiple roles that accident, illness
and disease can fulfill in our creative endeavors. The
recommendation here is to look to make our creative endeavors
conscious so that we can begin to see the attachments and/or past
memories that can give rise to
pain. In this way, we can defuse the
pain before it become painful or significantly painful.
A second way to play - play under observation
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The second way is to have someone create a form of play that is
acceptable to our
mind and its understanding of play. They then
observe our play to both see what it reveals and to guide us to what
we desire. This second use of play begins again with setting a
clear intention . We then have someone construct some sort of free,
unorganized play and allow the play itself to lead.
Here we look at the play as our
creative life energy and/or our
creative spirit communicating to us and that it will lead us to what
it desires to communicate. We need to see whatever arises in the
play and/or in what we are lead to do as our creative life energy
express itself to us. The individual is there to watch and observe
so that we can
become lost in the play
and there is no requirement
on our part to think and/or be observant. Most importantly, the
individual is there to ask our
creative life energy what it is
trying to communicate so that it will shift what it is expressing to
communicate more clearly in a way we can understand.
As we begin to play, the individual will ask questions relevant to
what we wish to manifest. What we will find is that our play reveals
in a literal or symbolic way what we need to do or what is
preventing us from moving forward. The individual should not be
controlling what we do in any way. Rather they ask questions to get
clarity as to what our
creative life energy/creative spirit is
trying to express. The process is quite dramatic and almost anything
can be used as play.
It needs to be understood that this process is based on the fact
that everything we are already experiencing is simply our
creative life energy expressing itself. The only difference is that within
this from of play, we create a
safe and secure space for our energy
to express itself under observation and where it is free to express
itself and communicates what needs to be said in the best way it
can. In realizing this, we only needs to observe our life to know
what our
creative life energy/creative spirit is communicating.
However to do this the observer must be able to be that
detached witness and stand back a sufficient distance that creates a large
enough perspective to see the whole picture being drawn and yet not
significantly influence by what it observes.
It can be expected that
childhood issue of
pain and suffering will arise as the play takes
us into situations that the reminds us of the past. If
mind does not
step in and shut down the play, we can be assured what arises needs
to be addressed for energy follows the
path of least resistance and
the
most energetic aspect arises to be addressed As such, our
creative life energy is telling us where we want the energy to flow
and not flow. The memories which surface will need to be addressed.
The process can be iterated as we address the pieces that arise.
However, in working through the past, it needs to be remembered, we
can be very easily diverted by any piece that arises and it may in
fact be an attempt for mind to regain control. By bringing up the
past and creating and intense desire to work thought all the past,
the mind regains the control and takes us away from our stated
intention. It is essential we always remember our intent and keep
focused on what we desire to create. We also need to be aware there
is no need to work through all our past and all the
pain we have
experienced. Rather, we only need to address what arises in direct
response to our stated intention.
Some of the more typical exercises that can be done to work through
what arises are targeted guided meditation, games that will create
conditions to work through the issue,
life maps,
story telling,
rituals,
metatheater and the like to process and release the
bound
energy. Often what is done will look like counseling or one or more
of the typical therapy techniques built around play, art or other
creative activities. However, the premise for what is done is quite
different. There is no desire or expectation on the part of the
observer to “fix” anything or that there is anything wrong with
things as they are. Rather the goal is to get the individual’s
creative life energy to express exactly what it is desiring to
express outside the control of
mind so it can flow into the
intention that is set. The focus is to address whatever we are
trying to create.
A third way to play - playing with another
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The third way to use play is to create a
metatheatric scenario
and/or other simply playful situations. Then engage the play with
another and allow the spontaneity of the situation to lead one’s
creative efforts. This form of play requires all participants to be
mindful and aware of the overriding intention and they have some
knowledge in the use of play. That is, they don’t take what arise
seriously. Otherwise anyone who is not aware may feel used and
abused because they will not understand much of what happens
This third ways to play is in many ways the same as the second way
to play except that all parties involved are watching both
themselves and the others. This form of play takes us close to
returning to the spontaneous and innocent childlike play of
discovery and exploration. This also means that the type of play
will most probably surface the painful issues of childhood and/or
what can be called past life memories in ourselves and/or in other
participants. Its main difference from the
play of what is symbolized by the heart is that it is done within a defined context
of play rather than allowing a full spontaneous play in all areas.
In play of what is symbolized by the heart, the whole Creation is
the playground.
This third type of play will involved actual theatrical scenarios of
play and acting out ideas and scenes. This is a very powerful
methodology. Normally our filters that we use to perceive reality
are not in alignment with reality. We experience reality and
response based on our filter rather than dealing with what is real.
Our filters continually bias anything we observe and if we can’t get
out of mind, we never will see clearly. However a way out is to
create something unreal and we will response based on what is real
within us. Hence we can see the filters that we are using to bias
our perceptions. So rather than stepping out of mind, we learn the
filters of the
mind. In becoming aware of their existence, we can
slowly dismantle them to create a way that is safe for us to step
out of mind without our fears and judgements returning and
interfering with what we are experiencing.
A fourth way to play - a returning
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The fourth way to play is a returning to the essence of our being.
It most powerful method of play we can readily access and yet
difficult to obtain is the conscious return to, and use of,
play of what is symbolized
in the heart. It is to be in the spontaneous and
innocent childlike play of discovery and exploration with which we
were born and experienced early in life. A conscious return to this
state of play is the only way you can enter it. It cannot be used
subconsciously for all the
pain and suffering one experienced in its
loss prevents its subconscious use. As soon as
mind perceives
anything remotely like what caused the pain and suffering in
the
past that shut this type of play down, mind will cause us to withdrawal. The memories of the pain and
suffering of the past and the habits we developed to avoid the pain
we felt as a child rise to keep us bound in what the mind considers
safe. Yet is safe only from a child’s perspective when we developed
the habits. What we do not necessarily
serve us
in the long run and
as an adult. .
To use the
play of what is symbolized
in the heart consciously we
need to face all the reason why we lost this ability. We will have
to work through all the issue that arise as they arise they are what
interferes with what we desire to create. Yet, it is a task well
within our ability. It is only a matter of having the strength of
will, a desire and the determination to get back to that state to
consciously claim the depth and breadth of our
creative power and creative ability.
play of what is symbolized
in the heart is the state of play to
which one must return if they are going to access and release our
unlimited creativity and claim
our birthright as the
infinitely creative being that we are. But regaining this ability to play or
access our unlimited creativity is not something everyone has the
need or interest to do. We come here to have an experience and that
should be our first priority, that is, to have the
experience we
incarnated to have. Accessing the
creative power and creative ability which created that reason for being here is not necessary.
Yet if we wish to access our full power to create the reality of our
choice, this is the
state of being to which we need to return.
To consciously reenter the state of spontaneous and innocent
childlike play of discovery and exploration that we first
experienced in our life and to stay in that
state of being,
we will need to fully align with
our creative passion using it as our
internal compass and
surrender
to that creative passion. When we are
in our creative passion usually two things will occur. One is we
realize we can create anything we choose. It just takes the
concentrated focus of our attention and awareness. However, the
second thing is that we will realize is we created our current life
and there is a pretty good reason for it. Most find they are content
doing what they came to do when they do it. Most
mystics
would probably call
it surrendering to the will of God but it is not something we are in
any way forced to do because it is our choice. We set it up. We need
to remember we have a
free will. We either created it or agreed to
participate in it at some level of our being To say we are
surrendering to the will of some external God or force is a great
denial of our own responsibility for what we create. Rather we are
only choosing to live the
purpose we gave ourselves before
incarnating. It is more of honoring the contract we made with
ourselves. It is in fact to embrace our own truth. .
When we consciously embrace
our reason for incarnating, we
consciously engage life as play. Whether it is the life we live or
anything that we do in life. We fully experience life as
Consciousness at play with Itself and all that it is just play. This
is not an intellectual understanding. It is an awareness that is
enthused throughout our being. It is a matter of consciously knowing
and choosing an intention and then allowing ourselves to form and
flow into the intention we set knowing perfectly well if we
change
our intention in any way we change the flow of energy.
Related topics
Using creative play - Using play other than the most creative state
Using creative play to recreate oneself
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