A Writing Decision

One of my hopes in penning these Whimsies on whatever tickles my fancy is that over time, a thematic trend or two might emerge from the randomness.

To my delight, after 7 weeks I’ve spotted two recurring themes:

1. Play (encompassing awe-njoyment and multi-dimensional humanism)

2. Cats (Katsu, Yuki, and a splash of psychedelia)

I could argue that cats and psychedelia fall under the Play umbrella too, given how playful cats often are when they’re not eating, sleeping, or chaosing… And psychedelic adventures, for me, are one of the highest forms of play.

So, we have PLAY as a dominant theme in my writing (and my life these days).

Let us discuss…

Primitus: I love that bringing my writing ‘into the playhouse’ allows me to continue writing with unabashed whimsy and semi-reckless abandon. As I’ve been searching this summer for the next project to sink myself into, a non-negotiable has been that whatever I do for income in this next phase, that something must come with a sense of play. I won’t settle for any less.

(Which has been helpful in terms of ruling out ideas and options, yet limiting in realizing that I’m looking for a ‘Golden Goose’... A diamond in the rough.)

Secundus: Much to my surprise (and delight), when I sit with the idea of writing about play, I can sense an ember of excitement (and alignment) burning deep in my belly that if I’m honest, I’ve not felt in many, many moons.

I daresay that’s something worth chasing to see what unfolds.

Tertius: Based on conversations my play-centric Whimsies have kick-started with readers, I was correct in stating that Play is something many adults struggle with—cast aside amidst the pressing business of staying alive.

I understand how prioritizing play can be an unnatural idea, is often the first thing to be axed in favour of responsibilities, and that allocating time for something so seemingly “unproductive” is counter-intuitive…

To which I’ll pose you this:

Your greatest responsibility is to yourself. For without tending to yourself, you’ll only ever be able to show up as mediocre-at-best in your life.

Play is rejuvenating, energizing, and stress-depleting… 

Play strengthens your problem-solving skills…

Play is a wellspring for creativity and joy…

Thus…

Play is essential for living a happy, healthy, fulfilling life.

Something to chew on this week… :)

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander ‘Wiz’ Mullan

P.S. Friday’s Perfect Day in Amsterdam story almost immediately became my most-read story yet. That’s a stat I’m glad for, as I quite enjoyed the trip down memory lane in putting that day together for you I’ve also taken inspiration from the response. Over time, I’ll sprinkle in similar stories from the other magical cities I’ve spent enough time in to put together the my perfect day.