Daydream Believer

Do you prioritize play in your work? If not, it might be time to Monkee around a bit.

The TLDR PRE-CAP

• Your mind is a machine, but also a wild stallion. Let it run.

• Playful moments can reignite creativity.

• Inspiration can hide in plain sight—if you’re looking for it.

• “Permission to play” turned a “meh” image into a personal favorite.

Giddy Up, Let’s Ride

We spend so much effort to rein in our thoughts, stay sharp, tick off to-do lists, and be laser-focused. We need it, some more than others. But what if we gave our minds a chance to run free now and then?

Give your brain permission to play.

Yes, our brains are capable of incredible productivity—but they’re also wild stallions we lock up in the barn. Stallions need to roam and gallop across the plains of our vast imagination. Sometimes, the best ideas come not from deep focus, but from allowing yourself a little imaginative freedom.

The Cloud Game

You used to let your mind roam, and all sorts of magic ensued. Chances are, you’ve played the "Cloud Game" at some point, spotting shapes and creatures in the sky. If you’ve seen Pixar’s Up, you know exactly what I mean.

I used to play it all the time as a kid. These days, it still brings me joy, especially during long drives or moments of stillness. Two artists who’ve beautifully captured the spirit of cloud play are:

• Chris Judge – a.k.a. A Daily Cloud on Instagram. His drawings are delightfully simple and spark the imagination.

and Rob Sayegh Jr. – whose playful doodles turn mundane moments into magic.

Imagine Dragons

Why am I writing about this? Recently, this childhood game showed up in an unexpected place—a work meeting. We logged into a FigJam board, a handful of cloud photos were ready and waiting for us. We each chose one (or several) to draw over. After 5–7 minutes of sketching, we came back together to share what we saw. It was fun. It was light. And somehow, it deepened our team’s connection.

I challenge you to spend time looking out the window and let your imagination wander. Do a doodle over top if you can. If it’s grey and rainy where you live, here is a page of clouds to peruse.

Batman’s Buddy

Back a year or two ago, I played this game with one of my wife’s cyanotype¹ images². She was trying to get the veins of a Henpecked lettuce leaf to show up. However, she was disappointed with the results.

I got excited when the image was heading to the “recycle pile.”³ At first glance, I saw a face. A shadowy wizard with a pipe began to take shape in my imagination. The more I stared at it, the more details I could see. The wizard soon shifted to another figure who often has conversations in the shadows.

I call this image “Gordon,” after Jim Gordon, the grizzled police commissioner of Gotham City. Here are some famous renditions of Gordon’s face that might jog your memory. If you are a Batman fan or think this image is rad, you’re in luck, there are some for sale on my site.

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Implement some play in your day

1. Start a visual journal – Pick one random shape or blob each day and turn it into something unexpected.

2. Try re-seeing old work – Look at a past sketch, photo, or “failed” art piece and find something new within it.

3. Collaborate with a partner – Use someone else’s art as a prompt (with permission) and see what stories you can uncover.

4. Share your “Gordon” – Post your reimagined finds and tag a friend to do the same.

5. Check out the book The Art of Noticing, a fantastic book filled with creative exercises to help you slow down and see the world differently

   1. Also worth a look: Amy Herman. Her work on visual intelligence takes this idea of intentional observation to a whole new level... but that’s a post for another day.

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FIND ME ELSEWHERE

• My Website - iamreedicus.com

• Instagram - @iamreedicus

If this sparked a thought or made you want to stare at the clouds a little longer, share it with a fellow daydreamer. Drop a note in the comments, I’d love to hear what it stirred up for you.

Thanks for being here, and until next time...
Be Curious. Stay Wild.

- Doc

1. Want more info on cyanotypes? We made a little how-to video.

2. If you’re looking for meaningful, handmade art, check out her prints – they’re beautiful, moody, and full of wonder.

3. Recycle Pile is sorta like the land of misfit toys, but for our prints. Prints that go there are bound for more experimentation, like tinting or simply to be reclaimed, bleached, blended up, and made into handmade paper for more image making.