Walking Reflection — April 17, 2026 Serious Play, Solemn Play
Years ago, I showed my students at Minneapolis College (MCTC) a video by Paula Scher on serious play vs. solemn play, and I find myself returning to that idea again.
“Serious play is about letting go and allowing things to happen. Solemn play is about controlling the outcome.” — Paula Scher
Years ago, I showed my students at Minneapolis College (MCTC) a video by Paula Scher on serious play vs. solemn play, and I find myself returning to that idea again.
At the time, I understood it pretty simply. Serious play felt open and exploratory, a place where not knowing was part of the process. Solemn play felt heavier, more controlled—something that closed things down.
But now I see it differently.
I think solemn play comes after serious play. Serious play is where things begin—where something opens, and I don’t quite know what I’m doing yet. But then something starts to form. A shape, a direction, a presence begins to emerge.
That’s where solemn play enters. It feels more like a kind of holding. A kind of listening. A willingness to stay with what’s emerging without trying to resolve it. It requires attention.
It’s almost like the kernel forms in serious play, but it begins to take root in solemn play.
Maybe the movement isn’t one or the other. It feels more like a quiet rhythm back and forth—between letting go and staying present, between discovery and care.
Where I am now isn’t about trying to get back to serious play.
It’s about learning how to remain in that space where something begins to take shape,
and then… the conversation begins.
