Future Photographer: Experiencing Work as Play
When my son Sam was about five – oh, so many years ago – he and his best friend Alex had a conversation in the sandbox about the many kinds of work people do to make a living. As I pretended not to listen and strained to hear, they listed all the jobs they could think of and the specific work each job required: teachers, doormen, pediatricians, taxi drivers (these were city kids) the green grocer, our neighborhood barber… their descriptions were straightforward and accurate. When they ventured into unfamiliar territory such as street-sweepers, the mayor (Ed Koch reached everyone!) deep sea divers and astronauts, the job descriptions became expansive and seriously demanding. I could see each of these imaginative little guys visualizing what they might be when they grew up. The possibilities were limitless.
When Alex’s mom came to pick him up I re-capped my favorite quote of the afternoon for her, regarding our sons’ versions of our work:
Alex: My Mommy’s a writer. She writes.
Sam: My Mommy’s an actress. She auditions.
Later that night when Sam and I reflected back on the sandbox conversation, he asked “Mom, when you go to work, you do a play, right?” Yes, I told him. There was a long pause as he thought this through. And finally he said: ”That’s what I want to do, Mom. When I grow up, I want my work to be play.
Well, here it is decades later, and when Sam talks about his work – he is now a professional photographer – it is inspiring to hear how much it sounds like play.
It’s no secret that I take great pride in the theatrical intelligence of my son. As he grew, he discovered the bits and pieces of work that he truly loved, and his father and I managed to stay out of his way. And when Sam talks about his work these days, you’d think he was back in the sandbox. He positively glows.
My name is Ann Sachs, and I'm developing a process I call Theatrical Intelligence®. This is my Beta-Blog, where I post ideas and bits of writing as I build the idea into a book and a business.