- leithmckay
Surprising but it worked for Amelie
Amelie finds herself in a place where she couldn’t bring herself to paint anymore, she’d lost inspiration and artistic drive. As a full time artist this had serious implications. Amelie points out “I fall victim to capitalist society, whatever I do…it needs to be productive…a sellable product.”
“I fall victim to capitalist society, whatever I do...it needs to be productive...a sellable product.”
But that thinking was keeping her stuck.
It seems that somewhere along the way we get a negative message about play. Whether it be: it’s only for kids, it’s frivolous, or a waste of time. I’ve always had this sense that my time is so limited so I need to maximize every last second by constant “hustling” or I feel distressed that I’m not using my time wisely. We can feel a sense of pressure and guilt around how we use our time because of an underlying assumption that we must not be performing optimally (“life hacks” anyone?!)
Amelie challenges this thinking through the simple act of trying something new. She starts playing and experimenting with resin art. “I literally set up a plastic table in my backyard and just started playing with it and doing more of it.” That led to her sharing it on social media “just for fun” and the response was huge. Now it makes up most of her business!
Giving herself permission to play with a new medium enabled Amelie to get unstuck and to chart a new path forward. She has now had the experience to know play and discovery are crucial to creativity. And creativity is crucial for business - no matter what industry you’re in.
If you knew that play could unlock new ideas and possibilities, what is one activity you would do for pleasure and joy?
If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll listen to this episode with Amelie and connect with how she uses play and exploration to get unstuck.
.