the Way of the Showman Captain Frodo

Adults and children spend their days differently - we work, babies play. Play is the signature of childhood. It’s a living, visible manifestation of imagination and learning I action.Allison GopnikIf play is a constant and a genuine human drive, how do we recognise it when we see it in the world? Or more specifically; in which kind of behaviours does play manifest itself? We have looked at the five specific criteria, or characteristics of play, it’s fun and enjoyable, seemingly purposeless, i...

"Instincts are the whispers of our ancestors." - Quote by yours truly.In this episode we explore whether our inclination to play might actually be an innate human drive. Do we human beings possess an instinct to play? If so, how and why would something like that evolve?By understanding how something came into being we often learn valuable lessons today. Also, if it turns out that humans does have a play instinct, and I believe we do, then this is a powerful indicator that play is a whole lot ...

In this episode I finish up the unpacking of the five criteria of play. As we go on these five points will be the backbone of our inquiry. Much like how using Showman - Audience & Show as a symbol or mnemonic picture which affords us a lot of understanding, these five criteria will expand our understanding of play, and by transferral how it connects and relates to all aspects of life. The five are as follows:1 - Play is fun. It’s intensely pleasurable and enjoyable. So when we play we don...

In this episode I talk to Jellyboy the Clown about his book Memoirs of a Coney Island Clown. I learn a lot about him and how closely our experiences mirror eachother. There are some tragic details about suicide in this episode - be warned, if you need such a warning."Embark on an unforgettable journey alongside Jelly Boy in "Memoirs of a Coney Island Clown: Jellyboy's Sideshow Saga." Following the heart-wrenching loss of his brother, Jelly Boy is catapulted into a whirlwind of unexpected adve...

In this episode I continue to unpack the five criterias of play. The five are as follows:1 - Play is fun. It’s intensely pleasurable and enjoyable. So when we play we don’t want it to stop.2 - Play is self motivated, which means it has to be entered into voluntarily.3 - Play is apparently purposeless. We play for the sake of playing not to achieve some further goal.4 - Play has rules.5 - Play is imaginative and improvisational.Links:The Norwegian book called Lek og Læring i et Nevro perspekti...

In this episode Jay Gilligan brings up a few questions relating to episodes 3 & 4 in my exploration of Showmanship and Play (number 96 & 98). -We talk about what its like to talk to people about something which does not have an easy answer. A fortune cookie once told me "to every complex problem there is always a simple answer - and its usually wrong."-Jay asks if my process exhausts me. Always keeping all kinds of writing and projects searching for connections in me, does that e...