TPM #13 What is play? And what does it mean for mompreneurs? (A Review of Stuart Brown's book, Play)

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After a dozen episodes of the Playful Mompreneur Podcast, I'm convinced that we're on to something when it comes to embracing playfulness in our own businesses. The mompreneurs I've interviewed so far have testified to the fact that when they've become more playful, there's been more ease in their businesses, and success (in all its forms!) has followed.

But you may be left wondering:

• What do play and playfulness really mean?
• Why should I embrace playfulness?
• What does play look like for me (as a responsible adult!)?
• What does play look like in the world of business ownership and “work”?

All great questions that require some expert answers. So, I’ve reached for Stuart Brown’s book, entitled Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul.

In this week’s episode of the Playful Mompreneur Podcast, I review the book and reflect on how the theory and research have been borne out in my own mompreneur journey.

Fun Fact: I recorded this episode a few months ago, as part of my research for my book. I’ve been waiting excitedly for the right time to air it. And I think that now that you’ve heard from several mompreneurs about how playfulness has transformed their business journeys, it’s time to learn some more about the concept of playfulness.

Timestamps:

• 05:42 Thanks to Cate Curley at My Little Poppies/Never Board Learning for recommending “Play” by Stuart Brown in her course, Gameschooling (affiliate link). I'm really enjoying Gameschooling and I highly recommend it to homeschooling moms who are looking to intentionally add a bit more play into their homeschool days.
• 07:39 Why is play important to us as adults?
• 10:37 Stuart Brown’s definition of “play”
• 17:36 What does play look like for adults (and specifically mompreneurs)?
• 27:06 Work and Play (and why I love the chapter title: “The Opposite of Play is not Work”)

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