Why Play?
I mention play quite often with shapeshifter, it’s truly the backbone of the brand. Shapeshifter wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for play. Play is something I hold close to me and always have, it keeps me alive with reason, with joy, with gratitude. It’s a way of life, it allows us to enjoy our existence. This is something that is so important to community, especially those within the LGBTQ+ community. Where so often, we are focused on fighting for our basic human rights and trying to survive, that we are almost robbed of pure, simple joy. As part of the community, we build our families, we find comfort and belonging within connection, relativity and understanding within our own community as a means to survive, to exist with validity. Play is so important to remember throughout our lifetimes because it means we are existing in resistance. It is an act of radical resistance; to bring joy into our lives where we are denied it. Play can look like many things, theres not really a right or wrong way in which to play, especially because our own ideas of play is tailored to each one of us, highlighting our individualities and showing us that our own joy is valid however we choose to express it. I don’t believe we should ignore the importance of our rights, the struggles so many people are facing, the state of the world. But I do believe it’s important to balance this with play, the right to allow wonder, adventure, curiosity, release. With this balance comes action, play ignites our humanity. Don’t forget that. Don’t let yourself forget that you got to be silly sometimes to revive your reason.
