Roddy McKenzie: What Play Means to Me
- Mar 18, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 19, 2021
The joy of working at Game Genius is the ability to explore new ways to implement play in our lives. Mark Twain's Thomas Sawyer said, “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and . . . Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” I share these sentiments on play. Play is unbridled, instinctive, free, and natural. Play is the surplus, play is discretionary, play is the high state of being after the tough, difficult, and necessary work is completed.
For me, if play is voluntary, then work is obligatory. Work has a clear outcome, real-world consequences, hard results. Play at its core is gratuitous, similar to giving. The players get something out of playing... that's why he plays. The result is not what matters, it is secondary, the primary goal of playing is the experience.
The joy of experiencing play brings us all together. Playing, at least for a short moment, are times when we can forget our credentials, race, and class, and other social dividers. Play can be tickling a loved one, competing in a game, or a conversation among friends. It is in these unstructured, spontaneous moments of play that we indirectly learn more about ourselves and others.
Play however can be serious. If the simplest form of play is unstructured, then play that is structured is a game. Games have all sorts of rules, timing conventions, and other regulations. It is these structures that aid in learning and problem-solving. Paul Rand once said, “projects that engage the play instinct seek to bridge the gap between material and form, art and design, as well as heart, head, and hand.” At Game Genius our work is play. We do the tough tasks of creating games, designing activities, and giving time so that others can enjoy the simple experience of playing. Some of these experiences are whimsical, others are for teams to make tough decisions, some are physical and involve walking and searching different locales. No matter the form, we try to incorporate a variety of play activities so that the mind, body, and spirit can be engaged.
To me a world without a play is boring and mundane. I will explain more on the power of play in a longer form post here on the blog and impact report. Thanks for supporting our work at Game Genius and making social impact fun.
This is such a thoughtful reflection on the true meaning of play! I love how you capture its essence as something unbridled and essential. It really resonates with how we can inject more joy and connection into our lives. For a fun way to play with your photos, you should check out AI Cartoon Generator – it’s a fantastic tool for creating playful and unique images!
This is a fantastic perspective on play! I love how Roddy highlights the unbridled nature of play and its ability to connect us beyond social divides. It's inspiring to see how Game Genius fosters these experiences. If you're looking for tools to help organize your thoughts or document projects, you might find Markdown to Doc quite useful for converting your .md files.
This is a wonderful perspective on play! I love how Roddy highlights its voluntary and experiential nature, contrasting it with obligatory work. It's inspiring to see how Game Genius integrates play into their mission. For those looking to inject some playful creativity into their own projects, transforming images into pixel art can be a fun and engaging diversion. You can explore this at Photo to Pixel Art!
This is a wonderful reflection on the true essence of play! I really appreciate how Roddy highlights play as more than just fun, but as a gateway to learning and connection. It’s inspiring to see how Game Genius embraces this philosophy. Speaking of clarity and making things easier, if you're ever working with AI-generated text and need to polish your own writing, be sure to check out AI Cleaner Text. It’s a great tool for ensuring your message is as impactful as the joy of play!
This is a fantastic piece on the essence of play! I love how Roddy emphasizes that play is voluntary and the experience itself is the reward, not just the outcome. It truly resonates with the idea of finding joy in activities. On a related note, for anyone looking to preserve and enhance their cherished memories, I found HD Photo Converter incredibly useful for upscaling old photos.