which we call painting
or poetry or music.

Play and art have this in common, that they are activities pursued for
the sake of the activity itself, not as a means to any other object,
not aiming at any material usefulness. Actually, of course, there is
nothing more useful, on every scale of usefulness, than the
development of the individual in art or play, but these would never be
really themselves while an ulterior purpose formed a background to
them in consciousness.

Physical exercises devised for the sake of health are a more or less
pleasant form of work; they do not take the place of play. Our
ordinary work is usually more or less one-sided and unbalanced in the
demands it makes upon us; we therefore try to find what other set of
movements will undo this unbalancement and give us back unbiased
bodies. When that is done, and not till then, we get freedom, and it
is at that moment that real "play" begins--the use of the freed
muscles according to our own will and pleasure.

The same thing is perhaps true in connection with our minds. We all
see the fallacy of the old-fashioned hustlers' cry, "Make your work
your hobby; think of nothing else; let every moment be subordinated to
the dominating idea of your career; put aside all sentimentalism, all
laziness and self-will, all enthusiasm about things not in your own
line of work."

We have come to see that this kind of effort leads often to nervous
breakdown and early death; always to a certain narrowing of sympathy
and hardening of method even in the career itself. So we
conscientiously "take up" a hobby or a sport and set aside some hour
or day for indulgence in it. We make it a duty to lay aside for the
time being all idea of duties; part of our work is to learn to rest.

So far so good. But does all this go far enough?

Work imposed by any set of outer needs puts the whole being under a
certain strain. The aim of remedial exercises, prescribed rest-times
and legal holidays is to undo this strain, to unwind us from our coil
by twisting us the other way.

When this has been satisfactorily done, too often the person
responsible thinks that this is enough. But it is really and truly at
this moment that one is beginning one's real life.

When the body is freed from strain and weariness is the time to leap
and dance and sing and wrestle.

When the mind is free from prejudice and weariness is the time for its
original activity to begin; new thoughts spring up u