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Play can unlock your creativity and lead to innovation and success--creative director Piera Gelardi shows you how. The demands of adulthood often cause us to view play as something child-like, silly, and ultimately separate from our real lives. In treating it like a luxury, we fail to experience the critical advantage that play offers us to lead whole, successful lives. Play--a state of absorption in activities for enjoyment or exploration--can be a superpower at any age, and individuals who engage in more frequent play tend to have better psychological and physical functioning. In The Playful Way , creative director Piera Gelardi helps adults reclaim their playfulness by developing a more playful mindset and applying it to their life, work, relationships, changes, and challenges. Anyone can rediscover their sense of wonder by embracing life the playful way, a path that offers advantages, unlocks innovation, and feels a whole lot better. Science has proven these and more benefits of a playful mindset: Improved mental health Improved physical health thanks to enduring commitment to (fun!) fitness Trust and creativity in teams Focusing on both the light and fun and the tough and serious, The Playful Way is a guide to reconnecting with your inner child and realizing that when you have a playful mindset, you don''t have to go play. Play comes with you everywhere. The Playful Way features 20 original black-and-white illustrations by the author.
About the author
Piera Gelardi is a renowned creative director, entrepreneur, and speaker passionate about bringing out the creativity in everyone. She co-founded the iconic women’s media brand Refinery29, and today facilitates workshops for corporations and conferences about creativity, courage, and play. Outside of work, she loves leading play experiences, performing in storytelling shows, teaching cathartic dance, and making up songs with her four year old.
Summary
Playfulness can help you navigate life with more creativity, resilience, and joy—entrepreneur Piera Gelardi offers simple practices and radical permission to shift from the Pressured Way to the Playful Way.
Somewhere along the way to adulthood, we learned that play is frivolous. Childish. Something to outgrow. We treat it like a reward we have to earn, separate from our "real" lives. But denying our playfulness has a cost—it leaves us feeling drained and disconnected. We rely on pressure and perfectionism, trying to force outcomes, wondering why nothing feels fun anymore.
There's another way.
In The Playful Way, creative entrepreneur Piera Gelardi shows how to shift from the Pressured Way—clenching, forcing, white-knuckling through life—to the Playful Way, where you move through the world with fluidity, curiosity, and aliveness. For Gelardi—who has built iconic brands, created daring experiences, and consistently put herself out there in bold, creative ways—play has never been frivolous. It was how she made sense of the world. As an adult, she realized that what she'd called burnout or creative block was really a disconnection from play—and that returning to it helped her feel alive again.
Through intimate stories, research, and accessible practices, you'll discover how to:
- quiet the inner critics that restrict your playfulness
- unlock the Eight Powers of Play
- embrace a mindset that transforms how you navigate challenges, deepen connections, and find joy in everyday moments
The Playful Way is your guide to living with more whimsy, wonder, and possibility—through both the light moments and the tough ones. Because when you embrace playfulness, you don't have to go play. Play comes with you everywhere.
