Today I led a short, hands-on creative session for Arts Los Altos. On the surface, it looked like a demo—acrylic, gel plates, paper, quick layering—but my real intention was simpler and harder: to offer people a brief experience of uninhibited play, where art and play aren’t separate activities but the same impulse.
I wasn’t there to teach a technique to these seasoned artists. I was there to watch what happens when adults are given permission to move faster than their self-judgment.
As people gathered, I could see the familiar patterns right away—who leaned in, who stayed back, who asked for rules, who apologized before making a mark. These moments always tell me more than the work itself. They show me where play has been interrupted in someone’s life.
So I kept the materials simple and the stakes low. I repeated “it’s just paper” often. I let things get messy. I resisted the urge to correct or guide too much. My role was to protect the container, not direct the outcome.
And then the shift happened, as it usually does.
Hands took over. Laughter surfaced. Someone covered up something they didn’t like instead of starting over. Another person surprised themselves by not stopping. The room softened—not because everyone suddenly felt confident, but because they felt safe enough to keep going.
This is why I’m so interested in the intersection of art and play.
Play dissolves performance. It invites experimentation without explanation. When art is approached through play, it stops asking for talent and starts asking for presence.
At the end, the pieces became small tokens, a large repetitive Japanese-screen-style painting, and quick studies in a personal journal. Nothing felt too precious. Nothing felt intimidating. One of the attendees emailed me later to say, “Today was a great escape! Loved trying something new.”
For you, this may sound familiar. It’s the same practice we return to again and again: begin with the hands, lower the stakes, stay with what’s uncomfortable just long enough, and let the work go.
That’s what I was demonstrating today.
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