Member-only story
Turning Childhood Play into a Career
How my imaginary friends became my job.
I read an article recently about how important it is for adults to continue to play. “Among its many benefits, adult play can boost your creativity, sharpen your sense of humor, and help you cope better with stress.”
It made me think…do I play with an adult? I did when my kids were little, but now that they’re teens, do I still play?
My mom says my love of imaginative play began as soon as I could sit in the highchair. She could give me a few pretzel sticks and I’d sit endless, making up stories, using the sticks as characters.
As I got older, I replaced the stick with Barbies and American Girl dolls. Hours passed in our playroom as I made up stories and adventures for my dolls. I played with them for years, deep into middle school when my peers had all abandoned them.
In high school, I’d put down the dolls, but still needed a way to tell the stories swirling through my head. That’s when I fell in love with long walks. While strolling around my neighborhood, I could play out the characters and scenes that lived within me.
That practice continued into adulthood as my walks turned into running. I’m forty-one and stories still run through my head most of the day.
