PLAY-DO
by Faye Pamintuan and Poeleen Alvarez

Some notes on wandering

1. Be a wanderer.
2. Be an explorer of the world.
3. See things with fresh eyes.
4. Interact with your surroundings.
5. Go to places you have never traversed before.
6. Always be looking.
7. Let your curiosity guide you.
8. Trace things back to their origin.
9. Listen to the stories around you.
10. Find an alternative path.
11. Get lost.
12. Collect objects.
13. Engage all of your senses.
14. Use all of your senses in your explorations.
15. Bring a notebook and record your findings.
16. Find kindred wanderers along the way.
17. Observe things from a distance.
18. Notice the tiniest of details.
19. Find the recurring patterns in nature and life.
20. Learn from everything.
21. Let go of expectations.
22. Allow space for the unplanned.
23. The unknown is your friend.
24. There are no rules.
25. Have fun.
26. Be present.
27. Play.

The act of wandering is an invitation for play. When we start to question things, we open doors to new perspectives, possibilities and magic. Wandering is not about reaching a specific destination. Instead, it is about allowing ourselves to experience freedom—and let our body, mind and soul roam free. Wandering encourages a willingness and openness to fully engage with life and the unknown. To allow ourselves to be pushed beyond our comfort zones towards the unbound.

A wanderer follows the path of indeterminacy– to allow, listen to hunches, daydream, flow, immerse, imagine, ramble, uncover, look, brainstorm, investigate, get lost, be in the moment, be idle, and play.

John Cage once described writing music as “...purposeless play…This play, however, is an affirmation of life–not an attempt to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply a way of waking up to the very life we’re living, which is so excellent once one gets one’s mind and one’s desires out of its way and lets it act on its own accord”. Similarly, another approach to making art is through purposeless play. To create art for its own sake. To create without knowing the final image.

Both Faye and Poeleen embody the energy of “Play-Do” by choosing to create from a more intuitive, spontaneous and playful approach. To be led by their wonderings —exploring, experimenting, allowing and making room for the unexpected. In the process, they discover, rediscover and unearth new worlds, formations and landscapes to traverse even if only in their minds.

Danna Espinosa