Curiosity is a strange thing. I define it as the interest in taking risks to do something. Most of the time it is something new, other times it is doing something in a new way.

Curiosity is also heavily linked to creativity. Without being curious and without being willing to take risks, it’s difficult to do something new. Something that inspires. One of the main themes in the book ‘The Little Prince’ is that creativity is heavily linked to childhood, and that as we grow older, we lose that skill.

“All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it”

Adults get punished for being curious. We are supposed to take the safe option – “You are a grown up now”. While we cannot be 100% care-free as adults in the world we live in, we go too far the other way. The child spirit in us dies a slow, painful death. This is when bitterness comes in. It’s why “my generation of music was the best and new generation of music sucks”, or “This generation doesn’t know how to have fun properly” blah blah blah. The statements have nothing to do with reality and everything to do with the lack of curiosity. Of the jealousy of no longer being able to have fun. Of being old.

The other day, I was discussing with a friend of mine the relationship between Megan Fox and MGK. Not my favorite topic, given that celebrities don’t excite me that much. But it does make you think of what MGK represented in Fox’s life. It gave her the permission to be a child again. To do silly things. To feel silly things. To play.

If you ever want to invoke the children’s tendencies of a man – give him a stick. I went on a river hike the other day, where I found a long stick. I was hungover, had less than 3 hours of sleep and none of that mattered anymore. It was as if had turned into a caveman – running barefoot on rocks, chanting wild songs, and play-fighting with fake dragons.

Just 2 weeks ago, I probably achieved the most adult achievement possible. Was I proud? Yes. Did I enjoy it as much as running around with a stick? Not really.

But what does stick fights have anything to do with curiosity anyway? Again, it is the link between curiosity and creativity. Curiosity is from how far I can throw this stick and hit a target. Creativity is imagining that the target was a bear charging at me. Curiosity was how fast I could run in the river and not brake my angle, creativity was stabbing at imaginary fish.

This all may seem silly, but in the adult life that becomes more and more mundane. It is having these moments of childlike behaviour that can bring back what we have forgotten. How to play.

The people who bring the most excitement to a group, to a relationship, to a friendship, to any event – are those that know how to play. Whenever we see someone like that, we either want to join them or we are jealous of them.

Next time you have the urge to do something curious, don’t worry what people will think or what is right. Just have fun with it.