Once upon a time, long, long ago I was a clown who performed magic in hospitals for children. (I promise I was not a scary clown!) My name was Funnywinks the Clown, and I was honored to bring magic, color and play to children and families who needed and appreciated a reprieve from their sorrows. I loved being a part of creating joyous memories with the kids and watching them light up (or spark) from the inside.
CUT TO: 10 Years Later… My next career took my life passion of bringing joy a bit further when I became a drama therapist after receiving my Master’s in Theatre-Drama Therapy at Kansas State University. For my graduate thesis, I decided to bring play to adult patients in a dialysis clinic by engaging them in story-making and acting exercises. It was a mutually enriching experience and resulted in every patient reporting improved mood and reduced pain after our play sessions.
Photo by Layra Marz | IG: @layramarzphoto
In my first job after graduation, I brought play to older adults with dementia in a Memory Care Unit. Again, I was honored being witness to people coming alive from simple play; relating to each other and laughing again. When I returned to the children’s hospital setting as a drama therapist (no longer wearing a red nose), I had a Eureka moment when I extended the invitation to play to my team of Child Life Specialists and other Expressive Arts Therapists at the hospital. They too were in need of play breaks and were rejuvenated with these sparks of play in their days.
And finally, for the past several years, I have been working in women’s health, educating and coaching women on sexual health, love and relationships. And what I’ve learned is that the key to navigating life is tapping into our pleasure… and really indulging in it. This is our power. And play is the portal to our pleasure and ultimately our power.
Thus, my mission is to promote play as an important part of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. I believe allowing for more play in our personal and professional lives will help accelerate the expansion of consciousness on our planet.
Woah.
THE END… Just kidding. It’s just the beginning.
Jamie Lynn McCoppin
