Don't Ever Stop Playing | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Don't Ever Stop Playing

It only took one improv session to change my outlook on life.

35
Don't Ever Stop Playing
wallpapercraze.com

This semester I added a class called, "Entrepreneurial Creativity," that's designed to help students harness their creativity and learn how to use it.

The class met up in the campus' Student Union theater and we got a chance to do improv. A guest speaker came and talked to us about improvisational comedy, but there’s more to that— he actually came to talk about communication.

According to him, the way we communicate is supposed to help us in our businesses and in our personal interactions in the real world. Our guest speaker discussed a list of traits that all humans have that we need to use more in our daily lives such as creativity, imagination, determination and more.

But the root of all character traits is willingness. One has to be willing to be a certain way. Our guest speaker demonstrated the use of these traits through a series of improv exercises. One of them was called "Repeat," in which two people participated. Each person had to repeat what the other said before coming up with a new line. The second— my favorite— was called "Foreign Film," where four people spoke a language through provided subtitles. None of us knew the languages so we had to speak gibberish and embody stereotypes. The last exercise we did was a storytelling exercise where five people were on stage, and each had to say one word at a time in order to write a story. This exercise was supposed to make us not plan ahead.

Before we left, he made us say one thing that really stuck with us after the improv class, and one of the things that I really got out of his presentation was something he said.

"Don't ever stop playing."

When we were little, we were told to play all the time. I'm pretty sure parents told their children this to get their kids off their backs, but playing is more than that. Play is self-expression. Play is trying to find your identity. We played for the first 18 years of our lives and all of a sudden, people tell us to stop playing and start growing up. Why? What sense does that make? It would be nice if people were not conditioned to always worry about what others thought of them.

I'm not saying that conformity is a bad thing, I'm just saying that it feels good to be without inhibitions once in a while.

Playing is cathartic. Playing feels good, or at least, I think so. I want to feel good for the rest of my life, which is why I will not stop playing. I will never stop playing.

Don't let anyone stop you from being who you are.

Don't. Ever. Stop. Playing.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

443874
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

17359
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

42003
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

7 Types Of Students You Will Meet In College

You wish you could be #5, but you know you're probably a #6.

21513
cool group of lazy college students in class
StableDiffusion

There are thousands of universities around the world, and each school boasts its own traditions and slogans. Some schools pride themselves on sports, while others emphasize their research facilities. While there is a myriad of differences among each and every school, there will always these seven types of students in class.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Rhyme Without Reason Greek Life Function Ideas

When you have no ideas for what to wear to this date function

321932
A dog and a frog
Healthy Pets

I am going to a rhyme without reason date function and I have looked at so many different rhyming words and I figured there need to be a new list of words. At these functions, there are usually at least two rockers and boxers and an umpteenth amount of dogs and frogs. I have come up with a list of creative and unique ideas for these functions.

If you like what you see, get a shopping cart going with these costumes.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments