UPSTREAM THINKING
Tools and rituals for more clarity and flow, distilled weekly.
If someone forwarded you this email, subscribe to get future issues directly in your inbox 💌
Splash of the Week
The Loss of Play.
How often do you play these days?
When was the last time you did something fun that wasn’t structured?
What do you do purely for the joy of it?
Somewhere between deadlines and daily routines, we traded curiosity for control.
To play is not just about games. It is a mindset. It is the ability to find joy without a fixed outcome.
We could dive into the science of happiness and explore how play is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition (National Institute for Play).
There is a lot to read on the science of happiness, flow and play. Earlier this year I came across an article on “lemonading”, the strategy to make you happier and scientific evidence to prove it (Forbes, April 2025).
Lemonading. Creatively imagining and pursuing positive possibilities to cultivate adaptive, enjoyable experiences while maintaining a clear-eyed realism about challenges.
But Upstream Thinking and Water-Intelligent Living are not about adding “play more” to your morning routine or productivity checklist, or to become a more resilient human.
It’s not an optimise-your-joy tactic.
It is a reminder that play is part of being fully alive.
Play is our original rhythm, before routines, before the metrics. Play isn’t an upgrade; its a way to reconnect. It happens when we stop treating life as a performance review.
How many of us actually feel alive, curious and free?
As adults, we often replace play with productivity. Even our wellness or sports activities have outcomes attached: muscle gain, weight loss, kilometers in a set time. We focus on efficiency and achievement at the expense of relaxation and joy.
Our lives leave little room for unstructured experimentation or fun. And then we spend our time telling each other how tired we are. Fatigue stories are the currency of coffee updates.
The loss of play is a root cause of many downstream issues in adulthood: burnout, despair, disconnection, loss of imagination.
Society often discourages adults from being “playful”, labelling it immature. But there’s a difference between being childish and being playful.
When I go several days without play, because I get sucked into the productivity routine, things in my life start to unravel. They say, “Build a life you can’t wait to wake up to.”
But if there’s no play, I don’t feel the spark. I loose motivation and purpose.
Think back to school days: children jump out of bed on open play days: Saturdays, holidays, Christmas mornings, not rigid school days.
You are excited for what the day might bring.
We adults aren’t so different. Nobody needs a stricter morning routine; we need something to look forward to. A bit of play in your day can be that thing.
Finding Work That Feels Like Pay
I saw the quote again recently: “Find work that feels like play”. And since a new hobby of mine is asking ChatGPT to unpack things through a Hermetic lens, here we go.
The universe is mental; everything begins in consciousness.
When work feels like play, it’s because the mind is unified. There’s no inner split between “duty” and “desire”. They merge into a single field of joyful creation. Playful work is a signal of inner alignment. Your thoughts, intentions and actions are flowing in harmony.
As above, so below. As within, so without.
When we approach work as play, our outer world (projects, relationships, outcomes) begins to mirror that lightness. I see it on our water retreats. While we guide through the Method for Water-Intelligent Living (Source, Filter, Elevate, Play), the “Splash & Play” part is everyone’s favourite (And Elevate: Exploring what “living water” is). Play is outer reflection of inner ease. The more play you embody, the more effortless your day becomes.
Nothing rests; everything moves.
Work that vibrates with joy attracts cooperation and creativity. Everyone wants to join energy that feels alive. Work that feels like play moves closer to the frequency of creation itself.
Everything is dual.
Work and play are not opposites, but poles of the same experience. True mastery is learning to turn duty into devotion, labour into art.
Everything flows out and in.
Life moves in cycles of focus and release. Play honours this rhythm. Dance with your own creative tides instead of constantly forcing someone else’s productivity hack list.
Nothing happens by chance.
Conscious choice shapes experience. If you choose to infuse your work with play, you create an upward spiral of joy, creativity, and meaningful outcomes.
The principle of gender.
All creation requires the union of masculine and feminine. It is structure and direction, guided by intuition. When they move in harmony, creation flows freely. That’s when work feels like play.
In essence: Work that feels like play is not indulgent. It is alignment.
I’d like to give a special shoutout in gratitude to Elisa (Salon108), part of my personal alignment mastermind crew, who answers my Hermetic life questions almost daily and these chats make each day feel more like play. 🥰
Remember: play doesn’t involve fear or failure.
Adulthood doesn’t have to mean trading play for productivity.
Align your Rituals. Join a Water Retreat.
Live Upstream.
Clarity is the new luxury. Rhythm is the new productivity. Flow is the new focus.
In a constant spirit of Splash & Play,
— Clouds
A Final Thought
Notes from the Meadow
We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
Landed here by chance? Stick around, we make everything way more fun. Hit subscribe for tools, stories, philosophy and upstream thinking. Hydration for cells & mind.
Disclaimer: This newsletter does not provide medical or nutritional advice. The content shared here is for informational and educational purposes only. To inspire a more mindful and empowered relationship with water, and yourself.