I tend to hit the keyboard running, possibly eat lunch at my computer, break to greet my oldest when he gets home from school and my youngest when he wakes from his nap. Maybe we rush off to soccer practice. I fix dinner in a rush. Once my boys go to bed I’m back at my computer for several hours before falling into bed. Not every day. But too often.

By contrast, today, I had a phone call with my answered prayer coach, Pat Hastings, caught up on e-mails and headed over to Mimi’s where I teach my Friday morning book writing classes.  It’s Thursday, though, so I didn’t teach. I took a leisurely walk by the ocean with Mimi and my friend Seraina and then joined Seraina in her song writing endeavors.

For me, fooling with the songwriting was pure play. I love hearing Seraina sing and I love to sing myself. I love playing with words. I don’t know how it happened exactly but my non-family time tends to be focused on money-making endeavors to the exclusion of fun. No fun.

I’ve decided to play more–Bananagrams–a word game that my friend Patricia Raskin introduced me to, Continuo, a strategy game with colored tiles, SET-a fascinating card game that–when I play it–I’m convinced I feel the new neural networks being created in my brain. I’m also building castles with blocks with my younger son and  laughing more.

Even in my writing I’m playing more. I’m finding that short writing projects can be just plain fun.

In addition to songwriting, I’m writing a few poems (I may share one in a future newsletter unless you tell me in the comments section to keep my poetry to myself), writing (and decorating) my transformation mandalas (If you’ve taken my Express Yourself in Writing and Transform Your Life may remember these), and even wrote a short essay about my mom for The Power of  Mother’s Love, an e-book for the Inspired Living Publishing series. These short, simple projects make writing fun and not so serious.

What are you doing for play in your writing life and beyond?