The sea squirt is one of our more ancient relatives. Its primitive nervous system is closely related to ours. Young sea squirts spend their time growing and exploring the sea. When they reach adulthood they attach them selves to a rock or boat’s hull for life. Now it doesn’t need to monitor the world as it did as a child sea squirt as the passing current provides the nutrients it needs to survive. The sea squirt becomes a couch potato! It digests it’s own brain “all work and no play make sea squirt a brain-eating zombie.” Page 48. The sea squirt is a brilliant example of use it or loose it.
Most animals grow lots of nerve connections as children and stop playing as adults and at this point their brain stop growing. But not humans.
“The brain can keep developing long after we leave adolescent and play promotes that growth. We are designed to be lifelong players, built to benefit from play at any age. The human animal is shaped by evolution to be the most flexible of all animals: as we play, we continue to changed and adapt into old age. Understanding why many animals stop playing in adulthood, and why humans don’t, help us further understand the role play has in adult life.” Page 48
Throughout our lives we can grow and develop our brains through play. What an amazing gift we have been giving. We should all try and play throughout our lives, we have the characteristic to be young forever and who doesn’t want that?
“In an individual who is well adjusted and safe, play very likely continues to prompt continued neurogenesis throughout our long lives.” Page 58
Dementia studies shows that play prevents mental decline as it stimulates the neurogenesis which is defiantly a reason to keep playing and making sure others are playing too. Making playful art installations gives people an invitation to play. I feel it is critical to have them in accessible places like parks and out on the street, not just art galleries but in the public realm to ensure as many people as possible are encouraged to play. It is thought that art is a play impulse.
“The newer thinking is that art and culture are something that the brain actively creates because it benefits us, something that arises out of the primitive and childlike drive to play.” Page 61
“Watch a two-year-old who is drawn to spontaneously dance to the beat of a summer and concert in the park. Fifteen years later, that kid may be consummate pianist or just sound hours humming and strumming a guitar. But the draw to rhythm and music were kindled by spontaneous playfulness when the band started laying during that long -summer. The emotions that fostered this embrace were not verbal nor a product of thoughts like “I think O’d like to be a musician.” They were promoted by a deeper, more primal process, which I believe Jaak has captured in his descriptions of processes that link brain stem (movement) to limb (emotional) to cortex (thought).” Page 61
As humans we have open hearts that are ready to play. Creating change encounters for play can lead to a world of possibilities. An interaction with one of my installations could lend a child to art in later life or help an adult reduce their likelihood of developing dementia.
Art and culture has the added benefit of bringing people together, it creates a deep none verbal communication that binds people together. It is a form of communication within it’s self. This makes me think of a day I visited Light Pavilion with my friend Shaun and a little girl was playing with Light Pavilion on her own, her mum was watching from a seat in the gallery. With no verbal communication the little girl indicated that she wanted to press the buttons that were higher up (I’d done this on purpose to get people working together), she went round one by one pressing the buttons and I picked her up for the ones she couldn’t reach. I don’t her name, she has no relation to me but I will never forget the playful moment we had together that she led.
Playful communication works for both adults and children:
“Taking part in this play is a way to put us in sync with those around us. It is away to tap into common emotions and thoughts and share them with others.” Page 63
I like to think I create these beautiful moments for people, like the one for me, Shaun and the little girl.
From this chapter I have learnt a lot, play keeps us developing, it creates stepping stones for our lives and brings us together. If you don’t play you’ll become like a sea squirt, keep playing and don’t stop! I’ll keep creating opportunities for people to play..
“When we stop playing, we stop developing, and when the happened, the laws of entropy take over – things fall apart. Ultimately, we share the fate of the sea squirt and become vegetative, staying in one spot, not fully interacting with the world, more plant than animal. When we stop playing, we start dying.” Page 73
