I am Water

Introduction

There is some stuff lying on the floor of the classroom.

• Lego
• Where’s Waldo? Books
• Magic Eye Books
• Dominos
• Magnets + Links
• Parquetry Blocks
• Imaginarium Train Set + Thomas the Tank Engine

Play!! Yes, you.

Discussion

• Did you get bored?
• Did you lose sense of time at any point?
• Did anything become too difficult at any time?
• What did you do at such times?

What is Flow?

Sad news: Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, famous for his theory of "flow", has passed away at the age of 87. Let's tackle a pleasurable challenge in his honor today, or tomorrow. Eating dinner with him once in 2012 was an honor and a most cherished memory. pic.twitter.com/hhipkdT32G

— Jane IMAGINABLE McGonigal ❤️ (@avantgame) October 21, 2021

{sketchplanations}

We will understand Flow from:

1. The book Flow and the Psychology of Happiness, pp; 72-76; by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
   
   
   

2. This video:
   

   
   
   
   

3. This TED Talk : Flow, the Secret to Happiness

   
   
   
   

4. This is Water: David Foster Wallace’s famous Talk:

   
   
   

5. Let us quickly read and discuss this extract from the Play and Playground Encyclopedia

Pop Quix: Want still more Flow?

No, that is not a bad spelling….why not?

Go find me in this picture !!

References

1. Scott Eberle, “The Aspects of Play”

2. “Platform Creativity: Domain, Field, and Person”

3. 8 Ways To Create Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Additional Readings

1. Maria Popova. (April 8, 2016). Diane Ackerman on the Evolutionary and Existential Purpose of Deep Play. https://www.themarginalian.org/2016/08/04/diane-ackerman-deep-play/

2. Ian Bogost, “Play at Anything”