The Playful Way: Creativity, Connection, and Joy Through Everyday Moments of Play

Play can unlock your creativity and lead to innovation and success—creative director Piera Gelardi shows you how.

The demands of adulthood often cause us to view play as something child-like, silly, and ultimately separate from our real lives. In treating it like a luxury, we fail to experience the critical advantage that play offers us to lead whole, successful lives.

Play—a state of absorption in activities for enjoyment or exploration—can be a superpower at any age, and individuals who engage in more frequent play tend to have better psychological and physical functioning. In The Playful Way, creative director Piera Gelardi helps adults reclaim their playfulness by developing a more playful mindset and applying it to their life, work, relationships, changes, and challenges. Anyone can rediscover their sense of wonder by embracing life the playful way, a path that offers advantages, unlocks innovation, and feels a whole lot better. Science has proven these and more benefits of a playful mindset:

• Improved mental health • Improved physical health thanks to enduring commitment to (fun!) fitness • Trust and creativity in teams

Focusing on both the light and fun and the tough and serious, The Playful Way is a guide to reconnecting with your inner child and realizing that when you have a playful mindset, you don’t have to go play. Play comes with you everywhere.

© 2026 HarperOne (Audiobook): 9780063416727

Release date

Audiobook: April 7, 2026