Activate Your PlayDrive
and Thrive…
Why Play is the Most Powerful Fuel for Creativity, Growth & Wilde Living
There’s an electric current within us that powers curiosity, innovation, and the deep desire to explore. It’s hardwired, instinctive, and as essential to our development as hunger or sleep.
It’s called your PlayDrive.
Long before we were conditioned to equate productivity with worth, we were explorers—testing, imagining, and creating just for the sheer joy of it. As children, we instinctively played our way into understanding the world. But somewhere along the way, play was pushed aside, labeled as frivolous or unnecessary.
Psychologist and play researcher Peter Gray agrees (with me;) that play isn’t just a luxury—it’s a biological necessity. In his book Free to Learn, he highlights how play is the primary way humans develop problem-solving skills, resilience, and social intelligence. It’s not separate from learning; it is learning.
Yet, as adults, we often suppress this instinct, prioritizing structure, efficiency, and seriousness over spontaneity and experimentation. We forget that play is not an escape from real life—it’s the gateway into a more expansive, creative, and fulfilling one.
The Science of Play: Why Play is Your Brain’s Favorite State
Play isn’t just fun—it’s transformational. Neuroscientists have found that when we engage in play, the brain lights up in ways that foster:
Creative Problem-Solving – Play strengthens neural pathways that help us make unexpected connections and think divergently.
Risk-Taking & Innovation – A playful mindset reduces the fear of failure, making us more willing to experiment, pivot, and innovate.
Emotional Bounciness – Play helps us process emotions, navigate challenges, and build social bonds that enhance well-being.
Gray’s research shows that when play is suppressed, so is our ability to adapt, innovate, and thrive. In contrast, when we employ play—whether through improvisation, movement, storytelling, or creative experimentation—we unlock an inner resourcefulness that transforms the way we work, connect, and create.
Reactivating Your PlayDrive
The good news? Your PlayDrive isn’t lost. It’s just been buried under shoulds and supposed to’s. The key is re-membering your nature, and re-learning how to access it. Here’s where to start:
Improvise Daily – Whether it’s wordplay, movement, or problem-solving, activate your “Yes, And” mindset to invite spontaneity into your day.
Reframe Work as Play – Instead of asking, What’s the most efficient way to do this?, ask What’s the most fun or creative or playful way?
Make Something Just Because – No monetization, no end goal, no reason other than the sheer pleasure of creating.
Get Curious – Follow your fascinations, whether that’s trying a new hobby, exploring a different perspective, or simply wondering what if?
Play Isn’t Just a Perk—It’s Power
Peter Gray reminds us that play is nature’s way of ensuring we grow into adaptable, capable, and fulfilled humans.
Play is what fuels the greatest ideas, the most successful collaborations, and the boldest creations. It’s the missing ingredient when we feel stuck, uninspired, or disconnected from ourselves.
Your PlayDrive is still there—waiting to get revved up.
You Ready? What will you do today to wake it up?
