Serious Play
"Play is the means by which we discover the world, and by which we learn to imagine new possibilities." ~ Ian Bogost, Play Anything
Play isn’t about doing whatever you want, it is about doing what you can within restraints. In play, creativity is not a form of self-expression, or a pursuit of freedom, but instead limiting freedoms found in the creation of something new through transforming material constraints in surprising ways. Play is the act of finding creative solutions within constraints. It's a skill that can be learned through practice.
Play is the participation in pattern recognition and opens up possibilities for creative intervention in the outside world. While play offers the capacity to deliver rewards, it’s ultimate purpose is not to bring happiness or pleasure, but rather to induce optimal experience, or flow.
According to James Carse, there are two types of games: finite games and infinite games. Finite games have fixed rules, known players, and agreed upon objectives. The game ends when one beats others and joy comes from comparison. Infinite games, on the other hand, have no fixed rules or outcomes. The goal is to keep playing and the joy comes from advancement. Culture, for example, is not about achieving a particular end or goal, but rather to maintain and build upon what has already been created.
Infinite play is about embracing the present moment and finding joy in the process, rather than focusing on the end result. It's about seeing the world as a place of infinite possibilities and recognizing that there is no final destination. When we approach life as an infinite game, we can let go of the need to control and instead embrace the uncertainty of the future. The artist is not seeking to definite themselves in a finite game, the artist is someone who engages in an ongoing conversation with the past, present, and future, and who seeks to expand themselves and the boundaries of what is possible.
Infinite games are a source of meaning. How can we encounter more play of infinite games in our lives? By recognizing that life is an infinite game, we can let go of the need to win and instead focus on the joy of playing. We can embrace things for what they are, not what they lack, and do what we can with what’s given.