Radically playful

Let’s face it: what a hard time to be alive. When each day brings a new load of unfathomable, gut-wrenching news, it’s tempting to give in to hopelessness, to numb, to retreat, or to disconnect.

Starting a “new hobby,” practicing something seemingly useless, or going to see live comedy and laughing in a room full of strangers (maybe even… enemies) might feel like a distraction - albeit a welcome one.

But we would argue that it is precisely in times like these that play is most needed. The presence, connection, agreement, and joy embedded in play are not forms of escape, but of engagement: feeling instead of numbing, connecting instead of withdrawing, laughing in the face of chaos. 

And to quote author & activist bell hooks:  “We cannot have a meaningful revolution without humor. Every time we see the left—or any group—trying to move forward politically in a radical way, when they’re humorless, they fail.”