Never in my life I have never struggled with boredom. Creativity has always been my greatest pleasure and I have loved to learn new skills as long as I can remember. As a youth it was chess, piano, organ, saxophone, singing, ballet, theatre, swimming, table tennis, football… Later, in adolescence, it was music: teaching myself the drums, the keyboards, guitar and bass.
In my twenties I dove into music production and film production, I toured the world as an electronic musician and worked as a DJ playing in France, Germany, Italy, South Africa & Australia. I learnt to build websites and really dedicated myself to learning languages… French and Spanish. I became an English teacher… a mentor… an event organiser… a tour director… and discovered woodwork as well as painting and frisbee.
In my thirties and forties I really dedicated myself to education and set up a bilingual nursery, a forest school and an educational trust. I spent years studying sacred geometry and Non Violent Communication while participating in men’s work and other personal development modalities.
Now, as I begin life as a fifty year old, it feels as though it’s time to really share my passion for play… especially as the world sorely needs to learn a new way of being in order to adjust to the seismic shifts in society.
One of the fears of AI and the technological revolution taking place resides in the question:
"What are people going to do when their jobs are replaced by technology?"
It’s always seemed like a peculiar question to me because I have never needed a job to give me a sense of purpose or meaning. In fact, jobs have only ever got in the way of me pursuing my greatest interests… and the community initiatives I have spearheaded.
To me, we are perched on the precipice of an awakening humanity that can finally be freed of the need for monotonous drudgery in order to survive. Finally the technological revolution can offer the personal freedom that has been promised or at least hinted at since the industrial revolution.
But in order to shift away from the importance of work… to live healthierier happy lives… we must rediscover the creative impulse and the spirit of play which makes life a fulfilling adventure. Without a genuine sense of inspiration to pull us into a state of gratitude… many people struggle to find the motivation to escape the habits of survival work and the fleeting thrill of unsatisfying entertainment. Individuals need to discover the full power satisfaction that comes from truly connecting with our creativity.
Here is where I can help. I have been told that my creative energy is contagious.
“I love to play, I love to make, I love to learn, I love to share.”
It was only this year that I heard of such a thing as a Play Professional and there could be no better description of my life… besides celebrant.
I celebrate being alive… and my life is a focused expression of that creative spirit which I dedicate to purposeful ends… to the good of all beings and the creation of a world our hearts tell us is possible.
There is so much to do on this planet and there are so many people to help… it will be many, many years before we can truly look back and congratulate ourselves on having ushered in a state of Heaven on Earth.If you or your organisation need to embody that creative spirit… I’ll certainly have an angle and an activity to help bring get those juices flowing…