In this issue, you’ll find:

✅ 1 way to increase your capacity to play and learn by asking a hundred questions

✅ 1 way explorer play types use idleness as a superpower

✅ 1 trend to toy around: Stamp Rallies

One thing we lose growing up is our curiosity. We often stop asking questions or keep it to ourselves afraid to look stupid or ignorant.

But there’s power in asking questions without judgment and it’s a way to understand our worldview. In Michael Gelb’s book, How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, asking questions is part of the first principle Da Vinci lived by - insatiable curiosity and “an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.”

Set aside 10-20 minutes of your time and do the following:

1. List 100 hundred questions that are important to you in one sitting. It can be any question.

2. The first 20 or 30 will be on the top of your mind, by the 40th question, themes will surface. There may be questions you’ve asked before but differently phrased.

3. Read through your list and notice the themes that will emerge

After noticing the themes, choose the top ten most significant ones for you, where you feel a yearning for the answers.

Top Ten Questions

1. Choose 10 significant ones

2. Rank them in order of importance

3. No need to answer them. Maybe you won’t even get to answer them in your lifetime.

This is similar to Feynman's Favorite Problems, Warren Buffet’s Two Lists, and other activities in which you are asked to make a list and it helps you articulate your views in life.

I have my own top ten list and I’m happy to share it if curious. It has changed little since I started it over two years ago and it helps me anchor myself to what I value the most in life.

Explorer play types like to wander around, whether it's within the realms of their imagination or in actual meatspace.

Flanerie is a culture of meandering. It's similar to passegiatas, the Italian ritual of walking and people-watching. These idle activities aren't useless, it's an important part of the work of creatives, artists, and writers.

It's a chance to detach and disconnect, let your mind wander, and be mindful of your surroundings. It's play and meditation rolled into one activity.

When was the last time you wandered around without looking at your phone?

If you've been to Japan, you'll be familiar with the stamp kiosks at various train stops and tourist spots. It's fun to collect and there are communities dedicated to stamp rallies!

Stamp rallies often revolve around a theme, location, or event. It's a fun and cute way to motivate people to visit different places.

Have you ever done a stamp rally?