People often laugh and are amazed when they spend any time around me. I tend to take things to unexpected extremes.
OK, not just some things, pretty much everything. I even take my play time very seriously.
I’m the guy who started out by saying, “Hey, if I put a couch down here and got a projector like we have at work this could be kinda like a movie theater.” Then I spent a full year building a movie theater in my basement with an arcade, theater lobby, snack bar, and an acoustically de-coupled dedicated screening room.
I’m the guy who instead of just self-publishing a book went out and started up a publishing company.
I’m the guy who is still writing plays and dreaming of new productions.
I’m the guy roasting his own coffee beans.
Just like a work ethic, a strong play ethic can help you get the most enjoyment and benefit of the things you tell yourself that you’re doing for “fun.” As a kid you knew how to play. You wanted to do something with your friends. You wanted to be a cowboy, an astronaut, a superhero. You wanted to build buildings and knock them down, to drive fast cars, to fly planes and rocket ships. Your play was aligned with your imagination and your dreams.
Now, for most, play is another type of work. They call it “working out” for a reason. It’s not fun.
So why are you doing it?
Your play should be aligned with your goals just as much as your work. More so. How could anything possibly be fun if it’s unrelated with what you want? And it’s OK to want many different things.
My friends called me nuts when I started talking about building a theater, but because it was 100% aligned with what I wanted, I had a tremendous amount of fun researching, talking with other home theater enthusiasts, and building it. And now those same friends are amazed. To them, it’s the greatest thing ever. “If I had one of these I’d never leave the basement,” they tell me. I do leave the basement. But I have a lot of fun when I’m down there.
My publishing company, First Today Press, might be a hobby today, but it could be a thriving business soon. Wait until you see the titles we’re releasing in the next few months from five different authors — I’m only one of them. I really enjoy working with the team of friends and colleagues I’ve assembled and who knows what might come next. I bet it’ll be fun.
I’m going to the Fringe Festival in Scotland next year to see a new version of one of my plays produced. And I’m working on a new play.
And I’m drinking a hell of a good cup of coffee as I write this.
And I’m having a great time doing all of it.
What are you doing with your playtime?
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