The Science and Art of Playtivism

Written By Yana Buhrer Tavanier

Are you an activist feeling the first raindrops of burnout, or are you already engulfed in its storm? Either way, you’re not alone—studies show that burnout and depression are widespread amongst people trying to change the world.

Some years ago, I too was caught in burnout's downpour. My self-worth was dethroned by self-doubt—nothing I did seemed to matter, make a difference, or even make sense. 

What brought me respair was—wait for it—the work of a psychiatrist whose research on murderers revealed a common thread in their stories: a lack of play in childhood. This is how Dr. Stuart Brown came to study play, and today, he is the founder of the National Institute for Play in the US.

In his TED talk, Dr. Brown delves into the profound impact of play on the brain, citing evidence from neuroscience:

Nothing lights up the brain like play; the opposite of play is not work, but depression.

These words made a profound impact to my burnout self. Play felt like a promise—an answer to a question I didn’t yet know how to ask:

What if we raised activism to the power of play?

In his book, titled Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul, Dr. Brown describes the impact that play can have on one's life: “We are designed to play. We are built to play and built through play.” To him play is a survival drive that is necessary for adaptation, flexibility and social learning, even helping one belong in a community.

Long before, Albert Einstein, who—by the way—came up with some of his best scientific ideas during his violin breaks, discussed the power of “combinatory play". Arthur Koestler’s theory of “bisociation” explains creativity as the combination of elements that don’t ordinarily belong together. Expanding on this idea, Maria Popova further emphasizes the power of networked knowledge:

“To truly create and contribute to the world, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these pieces and build new castles.” 

Yet, while individual creativity and solo play lay the foundation, nothing rivals the towering castles we can build through play and collaboration with others.

“Play is the highest form of research”

While it’s debated whether the above quote truly belongs to Einstein, I can confirm it is, without a doubt, a stroke of genius. To test whether I can pull myself out of the burnout swamp by my own hair, I decided to engage in some serious play.

Through this process, I developed a concept I call playtivism—a portmanteau that merges the concepts of play and activism, and champions the idea that experimentation, creativity and joy can be powerful tools for driving social movements.

Together with my team at Fine Acts, we began building our own playgrounds—and inviting others to join us. We were further inspired by a deep dive into the science of what makes people care—confirming it’s not more facts that change minds, but experiences that make us feel something—like powerful stories or art.

So today, our sandboxes are filled with artists, designers, technologists, scientists, and journalists, working alongside activists in joyful, radical collaboration.

One example of such a space for cross-disciplinary creative play is LABS—our groundbreaking format that pairs artists and technologists to prototype joint projects that target specific human rights or environmental issues.

Some winning concepts from our Labs series include Beat.—our viral social experiment on domestic violence; Fakery—our fake pop-up bakery fighting disinformation; and Decktators—our board game that puts you in the shoes of dictators, so you get to really grasp the tools and tactics of oppression. In 2019, we also launched SPRINTS, where visual artists, supported by a pool of activist mentors, have 48 hours to create illustrations to be then distributed for free noncommercial use. See all our playtivism formats here. 

Time and time again we have seen that creative play and collaboration across disciplines are essential to human rights work—as play sparks better ideas; when we play, others want to join; play gives us the much needed feeling that ‘we got this’; and it can indeed be an antidote to the high levels of burnout and depression amongst activists.

Why play matters

In the realm of activism, where the stakes are so high and the challenges immense, the idea of incorporating play might seem counterintuitive or even frivolous. However, play is not merely a distraction or pastime, but a science-backed powerful tool and a deliberate and impactful approach to achieve our objectives:

  • Play is strategic. In activism, creative play is not a rehearsal—it is the opening act. It’s not about—let us play for a bit, to get the creative juices flowing, and then do the serious work. Play is the serious work. Play is an act of resistance. 

  • Play breathes life into activism: In playtivism, while the outcomes may not always be playful per se, the process itself always is. By creating multidisciplinary spaces for play and experimentation in activism, we foster out-of-the-box thinking, challenge established norms, and test new methods, resulting in networked knowledge and combinatory creativity that can drive better ideas and truly innovative solutions.  

  • Play is a safe space. Playtivism's emphasis on experimentation means there's an implicit understanding that not every initiative will succeed—and that's okay. This tolerance for failure, where mistakes become learning opportunities, creates an environment where activists can explore different approaches without the fear of always "getting it right." In fact, it's this very freedom that sparks the most surprising, refreshing and bold ideas—that defy the mundane and open doors to the extraordinary.

  • Play grows our armies stronger. Play fosters a sense of community and invites diverse participation. Through play, we break down barriers, build trust, and enhance collaboration. There’s a magnetic quality to play—when we engage in it, others are drawn in, which is vital for human rights, social, and environmental movements facing increasing threats and in need of as much support as possible. 

  • Play broadens the scope: By creating spaces where experimentation is encouraged, playtivism can broaden what is considered 'activism.' Moreover, play can redefine 'success' – it is no longer just about achieving a goal; it’s also about learning and growth, the courage to take risks without fear of failure, and the resilience built through the process. Success is the trust, connections and collaboration fostered within a community, the creative breakthroughs that emerge from thinking differently, and the sense of joy and purpose that sustains activists even in the face of immense challenges.

  • Play fosters resilience: Activism can be emotionally taxing, and burnout is real. Playtivism, by emphasizing play and experimentation, offers activists a form of respite and rejuvenation, even as they tackle serious issues. Play is air. It brings the levity we need to be able to breathe. 

To play is to live. As Oliver Sacks once said, “Even when tasks are no longer possible, play still is.”

But beyond being a source of relief, play has a deeper, transformative power. Play is a catalyst for discovery, it opens up new worlds of possibility, kindling hope and revealing paths where we once saw none.

Steven Johnson, captures this perfectly when discussing why so many experiences that started with simple delight and amusement eventually led us to profound breakthroughs: “You'll find the future wherever people are having the most fun.” 

Yana Buhrer Tavanier
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