Play in Relation to Creative Imagination1

This paper makes no attempt to cover the whole area of play, and not at all to explore the full reaches of creative imagination, but only to present certain special characteristics of the functioning of play in the service of creative imagination. I believe that play may work somewhat differently in conjunction with creativity than it does, for example, in the service of the neuroses.

Here one may note that the very juxtaposition of the words play and work suggests the seeming paradox—when is play only play and when is it work? Again this is in an area with which I cannot adequately deal. I suspect that the two are never to be completely dissociated and that the superficial distinction that work is for a definite and useful goal and play has no such utilitarian aim is a superficial distinction. It is based on recognition of conscious goals alone and does not take into consideration the highly useful but unconscious goals of much play. I also shall not speak of organized play in the sense of competitive games and their function in education and in neuroses, but only of play which is essentially solitary and takes part—often seemingly a small part—in creative work.

One more caution and limitation: I should like to make a preliminary distinction between creativity and productivity. I am aware that in many theses, perhaps those especially of educational psychologists, the term creative activity is used to describe an activity in which a definite achievement, usually of a tangible nature, is the result. This is in contrast to random, unproductive, or even destructive