I DON’T PLAY AS MUCH AS I’D LIKE TO. Responsibilities take over. My calendar gets full. My to-do list overwhelms me. It’s not that I don’t have time. Time I have. My mind lets me down, and I just want to escape and hide away.

I’ve been wondering for a while, why is it that my escape and hiding solutions are all digital? Tik Tok. Instagram. Netflix. Facebook. My news feed. Anything and everything except real life. I have a problem?

Everything I read tells me that this is a problem. Escape through digital doesn’t do me an ounce of good. Unless you’re learning something or authentically catching up with someone, anything digital simply sucks you into a warm and cozy black hole (black holes are not something you want to get sucked into).

From BBC Earth:

If you leapt heroically into a stellar-mass black hole, your body would be subjected to a process called ‘spaghettification’ (no, really, it is). The black hole’s gravity force would compress you from top to toe, while stretching you at the same time… thus, spaghetti.

I ALLOW MYSELF TO GO THERE

So yes, if digital is a black hole for me (warm and cozy as it might feel), why do I keep on going there? I can only conclude it’s because I have allowed myself to believe it’s a helpful solution. I’m not going to lay the blame at the feet of the large digital media companies. They’re just doing what they do. Win over customers, as many as they can. They may be trying to manipulate me into feeling warm and cozy in order to keep scrolling, but I’m the one who allows them to do that, if that is in fact what they’re doing.

I go there. I am not being forced. My life doesn’t depend on it. I like to think I’m larger, when it comes to me, than any of them. Even all of them combined.

THE 30 DAY PLAY CHALLENGE

That’s why I’m a little in love with the 30 Day Play Challenge. Spoiler alert, I have a lot to do with the challenge. I designed it. I built it. I’m it. I’m even happy to admit that I built it to save me.

It has done a lot of that for me. It’s pulled me back into real life, living it with real people, laughing, smiling, creating, and thinking new things. I’m sleeping better, adding more value to the people around me, and making better choices. It hasn’t been a miracle solution, as in, nothing changed dramatically over night, but slowly and surely I’m definitely more Playful.

WHAT IS IT?

Simply, and play should be simple, the Creative Play Society drops a Play invitation into your Whatsapp feed, each and every morning for 30 days. No logging in anywhere, no reporting back to anyone, just simple fun play. The way it’s meant to be. You complete them on your own, or involve a partner or friend (I advise this). Once it’s sent it, it’s completely up to you.

From their website:

30 day play Challenge details

WHAT DOES IT COST?

Billed from South Africa, it costs the following per month:

  • South Africa – R60
  • USA – approx $3.26
  • UK – approx £2.59
  • Kazakhstan – approx ₸1435.89
  • EU – approx €3.01
  • Argentina – approx ARS$2884.36
  • Australia – approx A$4.92
  • Morocco – approx DH32.65
  • The Gambia – approx D220.74
  • Sweden – approx SKr35.39

Over to you. Most fun I’ve had in the longest time. I hope you have as much fun playing as I have.