The Alchemy Of Play

And its impact on our work, home and ideas.

Jan 19, 2024

The importance of achieving a balance between work and rest, and the benefits of sleeping, doing nothing, and taking time out to restore ourselves before we go again, is well documented. But the alchemy of play and its role in realising our own creativity both at home and in our work, is still quite an untapped consideration.

We grow up as children with play at the heart of all we do - but as we get older it has become something often viewed as frivolous, when actually it is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself, your work and your home.

Image shot for my book, CREATE, with Michael Sinclair, in the home of Alex Legendre.
© Ali Heath www.aliheath.co.uk

Key learnings from today’s newsletter:

The power of play
The impact of not getting lost in your everyday
How play translates in my work as a stylist, designer and in the creation of books
Why you need confidence
Applying the principles of play to the design/styling of our homes
Recognising the importance of play in our personal projects

THE POWER OF PLAY

It enables us to experiment, take risks, explore new ideas and try out new possibilities without worrying about being judged or failing.
On creative projects both for clients and for myself I always build in time to play with new ideas, and to tap into more imaginative and intuitive thoughts. Ideas can come from anywhere art, galleries, music, podcasts, books, Instagram, Pinterest, holidays - basically anywhere that enables you to explore your curiosity and let your mind wander. And the impact this can have on ideas and projects that are brewing can be immense.
When we let go of set ways of thinking and rigid formulaic ways of working, we open our minds to new paths and new possibilities. Overcoming obstacles, coming up with new solutions, and feeling emotionally capable of allowing something new to happen. And with that comes a sense of freedom that helps to bring our creativity to life.

THE IMPACT OF NOT GETTING LOST IN YOUR EVERYDAY

With clients, bills to pay, family to look after, and general life taking our time and attention, it is easy to let the weeks pass by without creating any time to play with and explore new ideas.
I have learnt to carve out this time as part of my week. As I realised without diarising some dedicated time, it easily falls by the wayside.
By making it a priority and as important as other things in my life, it fosters a radically life changing, positive mindset.
When I am feeling positive, I achieve more, think more clearly and give myself permission to take more creative risks.
Sounds a mad thing to say but when you are in the zone the risks feel less risky, because succeed or fail, the act of playing was the important consideration.
The outcome - if it leads to a new personal project or better client results is the bonus. But the win is that you went there - that place in your head where anything is possible until you decide it isn't. And then that choice is yours.
The more time I devote to play - the more the ideas come. And the richer I feel creatively.

HOW PLAY TRANSLATES IN MY WORK AS A STYLIST, DESIGNER & CREATOR OF BOOKS?

At the heart of my styling and designing work, and in the creation of books - it is a constant balance between storytelling, and managing the look of content through colour, textures, objects, the angles from how an image or a room is perceived, how the light falls, what impact that has on the atmosphere; and sourcing/choosing the perfect props or accessories to add something extra to the detail, depth and magic of a project.
In short it's about play. Considered playfulness, but play nonetheless, and it is only through experimentation that you will design something that draws someone else in, or creates a shot in the camera, that makes you want to see and know more.
It's the art of adding enough, then taking things away, until the composition feels just right. Until you end up with an outcome that is sophisticated, but playful; finished but capable of still evolving; comfortable to look at but with an edge that makes you think and question. A result that leaves you wanting to know more about the person, the product, and the story behind the scenes.
Rooms, spaces and images should look effortless - almost as if someone has just left the scene. But that easiness you feel looking in, is usually the result of work that could have taken many test shots to get right, and many hours of planning. The prep is part of the play and without it, it becomes easy to panic or settle for ok or mediocre.
On a shoot, your client or your photographer might feel the shot is there. But in my heart if I know there is more that can be done, I continue to push and tweak. Sometimes it is the right thing to do, and in other situations the drive for perfection goes too far, and you end up stepping back a few shots to where it was working best. But through play you exceed expectations, and find the best outcome by refusing to settle for just so.
When shooting for editorial and for my books, the last few shots of any shoot or series of shoots, when everyone is tired can be the most tricky, yet also the most important. It's a time when play comes into its own - looking at what you have in the bag already and making sure you have all you need to achieve balance and a cohesive whole to the project in hand.
Sometimes it's very hard to plan an exact shot list because the magic happens when you give yourself time to play.
You have to be working with a photographer who gets that and values the importance too. If it's purely about working to a set number of shots, or the exact rooms that need to be photographed you lose the opportunity to capture that often abstract moment, when the light is just so, or the eye catches a composition by chance, that simply cannot be ignored or left un-photographed.
If the styling or design process is too rigid this magic is lost. And the frustration for someone with a creative mind will be too much to bear!! Believe me I have felt it. But from those situations you learn more than you can imagine and refine your own processes and team.
Image shot for my book, CREATE, with Michael Sinclair, in the home of Alex Legendre. © Ali Heath www.aliheath.co.uk

WHY YOU NEED CONFIDENCE

To do the above takes confidence but will ultimately be why a client or photographer will want to work with you.
You have to trust your inner voice and when you know something could be better be prepared to voice what you want.
This route is not the easy option but it will challenge you, help you to keep learning, encourage you to improve your own skills, and will fulfil your curiosity to create the best you possibly can.
But when you know it’s time to stop you also have to have the confidence to step back, knowing that in the context of the bigger picture you now need to move on, if time is a constraint.

APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES OF PLAY TO THE DESIGN/ STYLING OF HOME?

I have always been a magpie at heart. Now a more discerning one but still a magpie nonetheless. Collecting, curating, and creating is party of my DNA and I have always made a home that is full of the things I have discovered, sought out and love. Things are always rotating around the house, a mix of old and new, and much to the often annoyance of my gorgeous family, spaces are always evolving.
To the outsider it could feel as if things are always just so. But trust me that is never the case. It's only through play and experimentation that I find out what works and what doesn't.
It takes intuition to trust your style and often a whole heap of mess and chaos as you switch up spaces and move things around.
The chaos and the play though will bring your ideas to life. And the experimentation and time you give yourself to get it right, turns the final look or display something you love.
Without play you settle, and by settling you limit your creative potential. The collision of unexpected influences and objects is precious, but again without play things become stale, predictable and formulaic.
If you value the impact of play at home it encourages you to free up and to discover your style, to challenge yourself about function and form, and to work out what's important to you. No one gets it right first time - good things take time.
Knowing that can I think encourage everyone to make a home built up through a series of slow transitions and changes, that lead to something we are proud of, and feel comfortable with.
With play and experimentation I always achieve my best work and push my own personal boundaries. Without play choices become stifling, narrow and restricted.
Play = freedom. Freedom = creating freely. Creating freely = liberation. Liberation = personal. Personal = a home you love.

Image shot for my book, CREATE, with Michael Sinclair, in the home of Alex Legendre.
© Ali Heath www.aliheath.co.uk

RECOGNISING THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY IN OUR PERSONAL PROJECTS

Personal projects unravel our pent up creative brains, fire up our imaginations and give our ideas a place to spill out, feel free and the chance to become something tangible.
For me the need to isolate and collaborate are both as important in equal measure.
Showing up for own creativity, giving it a chance to play, and recognising it as something as important as work and downtime, will definitely change the way you live. Once you value play and step up for your own creativity, you realise that actually work and play are really all intertwined.
So how to make time?
Say no to the things that are wasting your time. Become more focused, decisive and discerning about how you spend your days, and with whom.
If you spent just an hour each morning and evening on play and developing your own ideas, that equates to 14 hours a week, 728 hours a year, 30 days a year - so roughly 1/12 of your annual time on earth. Amazing what you could achieve with an extra month on your hands.
Saying no to projects you don't want to do also saves an abundant amount of energy tied up in working out how to let go of things. It will free your head and give your heart the space it needs to thrive. And it will ultimately help you connect to the right people, and spend your time on the right work.
Obviously at times we all have to do work that we don't feel as excited about - the reality is bills have to be paid. But when you still commit to making time to develop your own visual narrative and thoughts, it will balance out the things that have to be done.
Stay true to you - it means you will wake up wanting to do what you do each day, and others will want to hire you.
Play is for the child within us all. Whoever said it was something that had to stop when we grew up, clearly did not dream enough. Dream big x x

My new Substack, For The Curious - is a place for all those who are curious to learn more and keen to bring their own creativity to life. I hope signing up and coming on this journey with me will encourage you to seize your dreams.

Hope you all have a gorgeous weekend ahead. Ali x x

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As a lover of storytelling, words and images, I am excited to be able to communicate and share with you in a longer form way, as an extension to my instagram feed, and am grateful for those supporting me with a paid subscription. After having worked in interiors and many related fields for over 20 years, since leaving the corporate world, I am looking forward to sharing many of the valuable things I have learnt, and have helped me pivot since starting my own company; along with insights, learnings and creative direction, that I hope will inspire you too.

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