Confetti For An Emerging Playful Paradigm | Jelena Aleksich
📑 Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:17 - Jelena’s background & The Confetti Project
06:20 - Success stories in Jelena’s career
13:33 - About the playful mindset and the “play print”
19:03 - Our way of thinking as a society
20:50 - Mental health issues after the pandemic
25:52 - Playfulness and childlike wonder
30:32 - Practicing our playfulness
35:25 - Jelena at 11 years old
42:10 - Jelena’s magic
Watch the full episode here.
💕 Story Overview
Welcome once again to the @MAGICademy Podcast! On S5E3 we give a warm welcome to Jelena Aleksich to the show. She is a creative entrepreneur, visual storyteller, and founder of The Confetti Project, which began as a photography challenge in her bedroom and now has evolved into a global mental health storytelling platform. We talk about our playfulness and how it’s often something that we ignore but it ends up being vital for us to have a healthy and balanced adult life.
Like many entrepreneurs, Jelena had a completely different background from what she ended up doing, starting as a psychology student and then pivoting to follow a more creative path. In this episode, we explore this pivot and the motivations behind it, the playful mindset and how to cultivate it, mental health and Jelena’s answer to the issue, and much more!
Cultivating Playfulness: The concept of play print is closely tied to the playful mindset and refers to the unique way individuals express their creativity and celebrate their lives. Through The Confetti Project, Jelena invites participants to reflect on what they celebrate in life, using confetti as a metaphor for joy and celebration. Through these playful activities, we can promote self-expression and foster connections among people which are key to a more balanced and happy business life.
Playfulness and Childlike Wonder in the Workplace: Playfulness acts as a catalyst for creative thinking. Engaging in playful activities encourages divergent thinking, enabling team members to approach problems from new angles. Also, it significantly enhances team dynamics by fostering a sense of camaraderie among talents, breaking down hierarchical barriers and promoting open communication. And the best part is that cultivates psychological safety, allowing talents to share ideas freely without fear of criticism and creating a safe environment.
Practicing Playfulness: To enhance creativity or relieve stress, it’s important to cultivate our playfulness even as adults. Some ways to do this are to transform mundane tasks into games by adding elements like points, challenges, or time limits; engaging or being curious and excited about simple things; trying creative exercises that encourage playful thinking; and many more.
Celebrate Life When You Can: A great way to look at life is to celebrate everything that happens to you. Whether it’s a win or a loss, celebrating the experience and learning something from it can change our mindset to get rid of the victim mentality and focus on what really matters, which is our personal growth. Keeping confetti in our pockets and being ready to throw it to the air in case something happens is a good way to train ourselves for this. Also, you will definitely attract some looks when throwing confetti!
⭐ What’s Jelena’s Magic?
She’s more aware of the big picture in life than the average person. She values time and thinks it’s our most important commodity. And she’s able to find beauty in everything because she deeply loves life and being alive.
Conclusion
In today’s episode, we delved into the importance of playfulness in maintaining a healthy and balanced adult life. We explored Jelena’s pivot from psychology to a creative entrepreneurial path, her experiences with The Confetti Project, and how she cultivates a playful mindset, while also touching a little bit on the mental health issues our generation is dealing with and Jelena’s unique approach to addressing it through storytelling.
If you would like to stay tuned with our future guests and their magical stories. Welcome to join us.
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Hilbers, J. (2006). Celebrations for personal and collective health and wellbeing (Doctoral dissertation).;
Brick, D. J., Wight, K. G., Bettman, J. R., Chartrand, T. L., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2023). Celebrate good times: How celebrations increase perceived social support. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 42(2), 115-132.
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Jelena Aleksich is a visual storyteller and creative entrepreneur with a background in Psychology and Design. She is the founder and creator of The Confetti Project, a photography experience that has evolved into a global initiative.
Jelena's work is driven by a deep connection with people and a desire to create a space for honest storytelling and mental health advocacy. She has collaborated with numerous brands and has taken her project to various locations, aiming to remind people that every moment in life is worthy of celebration.
https://www.theconfettiproject.com/
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Jiani (00:10)
Welcome to MAGICademy podcast. Today with us is Jelena, the founder of Confetti Project. Welcome to the podcast Jelena. So great to have you.
Jelena (00:25)
Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Jiani (00:29)
Wonderful. And so, so curious that, you know, you started this confetti project and people kind of dig deeper into the mission and vision and story behind it. Can you give us a brief introduction in a unique way about like who you are? You know, what's your mission and vision and, and, um, how would us remember you or get to know you?
Jelena (00:59)
You're starting with the hardest question. I'm telling you, anytime I'm at a social event and someone's like, what do you do? I'm just like, you know, my partner's like, architect, like one word people understand, right? And I'm always like, you know, trying to figure out what to say. I would say I give adults an opportunity to make a mess with pounds of confetti while they start to learn the skill of how to embrace the messiness.
of just being alive. I think that's the most concise way. I create immersive experiences and photography, those are some of the mediums that explore that space with, yeah, pounds of confetti. That's the common ingredient with everything that I do. Thanks.
Jiani (01:33)
I love it.
Beautiful. That's beautiful. Very simple and powering message. So tell us a little bit about the confetti project. How did everything started? What's your core message and vision behind this initiative?
Jelena (02:08)
It started 10 years ago, so we're gonna go back when I was in my 20s, when I was younger. Yeah, but there's such a difference when you're in your 30s versus your 20s, like such a, you know, the decisions that we make in our 20s, and then, you know, the commitment into the 30s I'm experiencing. But I'm living in New York City, and I'm so inspired by everyone around me. It was a lot of artists and creatives and...
Jiani (02:14)
You're still young.
Jelena (02:37)
I was always very curious, like as a child. I actually think, we'll talk more about that, but I think curiosity is one of my favorite characteristics of humans, of a personality trait. And yeah, I just left my job. I didn't have time to do anything. I didn't even have time to be outside or do the things that make you feel human. And when I left, I started looking around. I started paying attention to my surroundings.
And I really think that there are signs all around us if we're just looking, like if we're actually paying attention to it. And so all these signs started happening with confetti. I went to a concert, there's confetti falling, it's like the entire floor is confetti, and I start putting it in the pockets of my leather jacket. And a few weeks passed.
and I put that jacket on and it was when I was feeling really sad, which was a lot of my 20s. I had so much achievement pressure and like existential angst. And when I put the jacket on and I put my hand in the pocket and I saw the confetti, it made me really happy in that moment. And this was the beginning of me realizing anything that could change your energy instantly is very powerful. And so I started thinking about it.
my psychology background was like, what does confetti mean? You know, we all know confetti, right? Whether it was like, you couldn't have it in the house when you were a kid, right? Or for New Year's or, you know, a sporting event or a concert. And I looked it up and it means, you know, little pieces of paper that you throw during a time of celebration. So in my head, the equation became confetti equals celebration. That's what it is. That's the definition.
And then my design background was like, okay, let me search Tumblr, Pinterest, Google online to see what's been done with confetti, visually. And I started putting them in folders, I started categorizing them like confetti falling, confetti kisses, and then I put it in a PowerPoint presentation.
And I would be the girl that would go to parties or events with other artists and people that, I'm always asking them these questions and I would ask them, what do you celebrate in your life? What are your passions and your pleasures? And then I would show them this PowerPoint presentation of the confetti. And it always made people stop, always. I think for a few reasons. One, asking someone a deep question that is thought provoking.
is not common, right? We're all very focused on the next thing, on the future, on go, go, go, right? Everything is super fast and rushed. And then when they saw the confetti, it's like so striking, like the color and how visual it is in tactile. So yeah, that was the beginning of, that was the foundation of the work. I basically was like, okay, let me have a one -on -one photo shoot slash interview.
And yeah, people get to express themselves with confetti in my apartment. Literally, that was the first home of the confetti project. And very quickly, I realized that it was something that was bigger than myself. And from the first moment someone throwed confetti, there was a release that was happening. And it created such a safe environment to be vulnerable that people would get so, they would get naked. Like in a...
you know, metaphorical sense. They would share their story. They would get really deep. And they would also, some people would get physically naked. And I, people that I'd met for the first time. So that's really the heart of the work is to create a safe space where play deprived adults can give themselves the permission to let go and to reconnect to their joy and to process their life, right?
And not just their life, but the duality of life, the grief and the gratitude of life as we ebb and flow, right? So yeah, so I've done a lot of different things since that moment, working with brands, working with different demographics, but that's the transformation that happens 100 % of the time when anyone is playing in pounds of confetti in this world that I've created.
Jiani (07:11)
That's beautiful. I'm so curious and want to like learn more and trying to visualize how people change or shift pre -Confetti and post -Confetti. Can you share with us some stories, the impact stories that you've created through the project of Confetti?
who are they, I mean, anonymously, but like, you know, why do, why are they interested in confetti? What was, what was they like before that? And then how, how exactly, what thing exactly changed during the process of confetti and after confetti? And I'm so curious.
Jelena (07:56)
Yeah, you're going to have to experience it at some point. So you'll, you'll get firsthand experience. But like I said, there's a visible difference with anyone that experiences it. I'm telling you from that first throw and then every time you keep throwing, and there's a lot of throwing in my workshops, it's kind of like a workout. Um, there's more and more that's being released. So when people see my photos that happen at the end, there's a visible change. Um, people look lighter.
Jiani (07:59)
Bye.
Jelena (08:26)
they look more grounded, they're more in their joy. Like there's a spark, there's a light that comes out that maybe was hidden, you know, that maybe they abandoned since they were younger, right? Like those really shameless, expressive parts of yourself, right, where you come alive. But in terms of specific, there are a lot of stories. One that's really...
like near to my heart was years ago when I was in Los Angeles, there were two like preteen girls that were playing in the confetti and one of their family members was there. And, you know, when I photograph someone, I ask them what they celebrate, but you know,
have to be respectful of their capacity. You know, sometimes people are going to share their story. Sometimes they're not. It doesn't really matter for me, right? It's about them. But after all of this, the family friend emailed me and she was like, you don't understand. Like, you know, we had just been in a lawsuit for two years because they were sexually abused by someone that the family trusted and they had to grow up really quick.
and they had to testify and seeing them play in the confetti was like seeing them as children again. And that was like, I mean, I get emotional thinking about it because yeah, it was just how power, it's so simple, right? But it's so powerful giving anyone an outlet to express themselves because I believe when you express yourself, you're...
you're letting go of your trauma and your pain. Not completely. I mean, it's not going to be completely, you know, like everything's great, but you're basically the art. I've always told people you're the art in this world of confetti. And when you express yourself, you're alchemizing your pain into beauty and meaning. And so to see that in such an extreme story like that, right?
Jiani (10:37)
Mmm.
Jelena (10:44)
Um, but yeah, there's, there's been a lot of those types of things. I think the best stories are people that have resistance to what I do. I actually think those are even more interesting or people are having horrible days. Do you know what I mean? So there's one woman actually, um, that I'm friends with and she, it was having one of the worst days of her life when she was invited to come to, you know, a dinner and a workshop with me.
And she didn't want to go. She was like tired, you know, and she's like, I just want to go home and curl up in a ball. Right. And someone told her, this is exactly what you need. This is the exact reprieve and break that you need. And so something in her told her to go. And she went and she said, it was one of the most transformative experiences. Just as someone who's the joy person in her community, right? Everyone leans on her for her to just.
be her authentic self and let go and be a kid again, like really like reconnect to the inner child and just have fun and take a break from everything, you know, from your life, the density and the heaviness of your life. And so I've had moments like that with people that are like, I didn't want to do this. This was, you know, too much, but then the medicine, you know, of the space was exactly what they needed to navigate something challenging.
or some adversity. But a lot of the time, people that haven't been fans of what I do, and I don't think that they're haters or anything. I think it's more, we all have preconceived notions and it took me a long time not to take that personally. People that see what I do and they're like, that's weird. And I actually was able to work at the National Women's Law Center in DC recently.
And the woman was like, we have some skeptics. And I was like, Ooh, interesting. Tell me more. And the first one was like, it's weird, you know? And I actually pulled everyone in the beginning of the workshop to acknowledge these things, you know? And I was like, it's so weird. It's definitely weird. It's very unconventional. It's very like, it's super weird, definitely. But how many times have you not wanted to do something or had resistance and then you did it and it was the best thing and you left liberated?
Jiani (12:47)
Mmm.
Jelena (13:12)
You know what I mean? Like, think about that in your life. The other skepticism was, and this is something that I'm very interested in exploring, the mission of my work, is how can we celebrate right now? The world is, it's so dark, times are so messed up, there's so much hatred and divisiveness, how can we celebrate? And I get that, you know? I think, you know, that it can feel,
like weird and also guilty to celebrate when so many people are suffering. And I spoke to that as well. I was like, well, carving out moments, like glimmers of joy is what helps us survive. And when things feel like they're falling apart, giving ourselves the space to like scream, laugh, dance, cry, like however we wanna express it is what gives us hope.
Jiani (13:45)
Mm.
Jelena (14:12)
That's what can help us. It sounds counterintuitive, right? It sounds like a paradox, but that's what's helped humanity move forward, is finding hope in the dark times, is being able to be like, well, I feel really sad, but I also feel really happy right now. Like both of those things can coexist. So yeah, those have been some of the stories that stick out.
Jiani (14:29)
Mm.
I love that. And when you're talking about like the initial resistance, I think people are going through their lives with preconceived notions and they put things into different categories just to save their cognitive bandwidth so they can reserve that for more complicated tasks. And they carry that throughout their way. And because of that kind of system actually helps.
actually prevents them from being able to be open -minded to new possibilities. It feels like we put walls against ourselves and everybody's living in their Groundhog Day. Somebody said that, some of the guests said that. I was like, yes, everybody's living in our Groundhog Day every day and having the ability to open their mind and say, oh, confetti and celebrate. It feels like we're pushing them or nudging them.
Jelena (15:18)
Mm -hmm.
Jiani (15:33)
against a wall which we feel like or they feel like there's no way to go past that wall and then when people go through that experience they're like oh wait there's actually no walls I can actually go through that and then my wall become much bigger I really I like how you're you're sharing those stories of transformation and I also said like transcendent it's like going beyond what we think is possible and you're talking about
the playful mindset. And you also talked about the play print. And what is the play print? Is that like a play persona for each person? Do we each have different play prints? Is that genetic? Is that cultivated by culture and experiences? And how do you
How do you define the play print?
Jelena (16:36)
Yeah, I have to go back to what you said because I think it has to do with that. The walls that you were speaking about and the limitations that we place on ourselves, I believe is just repressed trauma. And we all have trauma, even if we had incredible childhoods. Like you don't leave childhood not having wounds of some sort. And a lot of the time it's generational inheritance. You know, it's like,
You know, I'm first generation, so it's like, I'm very aware of like having immigrant parents that it was all about survival. You know, it didn't matter what your feelings were, you know what I mean? And so, you know, when we've been in survival mode, like our ancestors, we're going to adopt that, right? It's like these walls are there because they make us safe, right? That's what we think.
But as someone that's navigated complex PTSD for the past few years, it's a really interesting thing because we believe that we're not enough or worthy enough to enjoy our life. You know what I mean? Like we create these stories and these pain cycles, they get so comfortable that being close -minded, being guarded becomes our norm. And that's really like,
a big part of what's wrong with the world, right? Of like how people can be judgmental instead of curious. You know what I mean? Something recently that I came about in therapy was when you equate closeness with sameness and how many people create that box. And so anyone that's trying to like, you know, challenge systems, right? Or disrupt or,
be a cycle breaker or change maker of some sort, they're seen as like a threat. And I think we see this in our life all the time, right? From like micro to macro, like systemically. I actually think I'm gonna give you attribution to this, Jiani, because the play print and the play persona, I actually didn't come up with that. I think when we were having our preliminary conversation, I think you did. And I was like, whoa, that's really cool. I never...
I never really thought of it that way. I think like anything, you can have a genetic predisposition to something, but then you have, you know, nature that is nurturing it or not. For instance, me and my partner, he is a comedian. He's not really a comedian, but he's hilarious. He loves comedy. He loves having fun. His whole family is like that. They're always joking around. Nothing is taken too seriously.
My childhood, my gosh, it was very authoritative. It was like, you need to do well in school. Your values, this is the very typical of immigrant kids or first generation kids, especially. Right, I'm sure, I mean, I would love to hear your experience of learning from a young age that you have to be serious and you have to think about what's gonna give you a good life and for you to take care of yourself and that.
Jiani (19:46)
Same here.
Jelena (20:01)
your productivity is what is your worth, right? And so I wasn't laughing as much growing up, you know, if anything, books were my outlet, like storytelling and, you know, things like that. So I think it's both. But I think like anything, if you are going to be a whole human living a fulfilling life in 2024 with constant overstimulation and constant density of, you know, being so
Jiani (20:06)
Yes.
Jelena (20:30)
hyper -connected, but also disconnected, right? Like the weird thing that social media does. It is a practice to nurture and nourish your inner world so that you can put that out into the outside world. You know what I mean? So I think when it comes to a play personality, it's like, how do you create spaces for yourself where you feel safe in your body?
right, in your mind and connect to that joy that you have inside of you because I really think play, it like jumpstarts joy. It like circuits you right into joy because if we were all aware that every day is a gift and that our lives can be taken away at any moment and that none of us are getting out of this alive, you would feel joy. You would feel gratitude for, you know,
waking up today, right? For having a roof over your head, for having food on your plate, for having rich relationships, right? Like those beautiful human to human moments. And so I think play, the characteristics of play, you know, is open -mindedness, it's spontaneousness, it's curiosity, it's timelessness. It's all the things that social media is the opposite of, of like what our behaviors, of how it makes us behave. So it's like, how do we...
Jiani (21:52)
you
Jelena (21:58)
step away from these spaces that are so, like the proliferation of them, you know, it's like these fake worlds and actually ground into our own. Yeah, I don't know if I answered that directly, but I think there were some things in there. But maybe right now we're coining these phrases, because I haven't really heard them before.
Jiani (22:23)
Yeah, I think it's, I think I've getting a sense that the world and then the generation are really start to explore new possibilities because the current way that we live, including social media, it is very achievement focused and everybody's trying to showcase that they've achieved a lot of things and.
Um, somebody is, is better than the other one. And it's a lot of like ego centric authority centric, um, space. And I get a sense that people are starting to notice and realize that.
there may be some opportunities for us to live our lives in a different way. And I was talking with another guest, Barbara Gross, and she is the founder of the Nomadic School of Wonder. And she said she founded the School of Wonder Making by going through an experience with one of her friends who is leaving the earth.
Jelena (23:15)
Mm -hmm.
Jiani (23:40)
and at the last moment of their lives. And she realized that we've been living our life wrong. I mean, we're not advocating, you know, we should not care about, you know, things that's important. I think it's all about our inner space. Like you mentioned, we can still go through life, be responsible, make things happen, help each other. But also how do we feel inside is really
what is actually more important. How do you curate the space of play, wonder, curiosity, based on your own experience and preferences is gonna be helping us as we help others, no matter if it's in our work or family. So there's a movement that I've seen. People are starting to ask questions.
Jelena (24:38)
That's so nice to hear because doing this for 10 years before the pandemic, it was all about, oh, confetti is a cool Instagram photo. Like that's all that people cared about. That's all that, you know, press talked about. Like, oh, it's a cool photo op, you know? And I'm like, but you have to see what's happening here. It's, you know, the hidden layers of meaning, you know, this deeper meaning. Um,
I think that the big pain point, at least for me, is that we're not given mental health education or resources from a young age. In our school systems, like in education, even now, I mean, it's certainly since the pandemic, right, has reached a crisis, right, in terms of, you know, the collective grief, decades and decades of, you know, just repressed trauma, right?
But even now it's like, there's not enough therapists for the demand and it's expensive. So my whole thing is like, I want to remind people, and this comes from someone that only recently embodied a self -love, like in the past few years, like in my 30s. I always was looking for things outside of myself to complete me.
And if you're conditioned as a girl, as a woman growing up, when I did, you're taught that. Like media, like all these systems that are meant to control you and you know, of oppression and so for me to have these workshops and to create these spaces where people can see like, you have all the answers within you. Like I was listening to a podcast with Goldie Hawn and she,
She's really advocating for mental health resources in schools, like with little, little kids. And she was saying, it's like the university of you. It's like, how can you study yourself? Right? And it's not only just reading, right? It's like, how does it feel when your body moves this way or when you do this or, you know, or speak like this or, you know, that's what play is. It's like, that's what makes it hard for us is like, we want a yes or no answer. We want it to be orderly. We want it to be...
in a box, but it's like every day you need something different, right? So it's like, how do you integrate that playfulness, which I think reduces shame, which I think a lot of us have a lot of shame, like beyond healthy amounts of shame, I know certainly for myself. So for me, I'm trying to give people the tools for their wellness, like on a day -to -day basis, like the maintenance for it.
just by going to one of my experiences, right? Like that's an act of self care, right? And also asking questions, like asking yourself questions and being inquisitive and checking in with yourself and just slowing down. Like slowing down is the prerequisite for everything, just as much as self -awareness is. But in order to be aware, you have to slow down, right? And so my story too has to do with my father.
dying. And it was a year that he was dying of cancer. Didn't know that he was dying, you know, until the end. But I call this my year of cancer and confetti. And that's, you know, when I was 26, my brain had just formed, right? Like, you know, and I was like, wow, cancer and confetti, like, they're so opposite. They're so different. Society views them as complete extremes. But I got to really acquaint myself with the duality.
Jiani (28:26)
Hmm.
Jelena (28:31)
of what it means to be human, right? Like the nuances of the human experience. And that means on the same day, I can watch people celebrate with confetti and I could also watch my dad fight for his life. And I could be so sad that my dad is so sick, but I can also be so grateful that he's eating food or he isn't in pain. Do you know what I mean? It was like anyone that's navigated like someone being ill that they love or yourself.
You're living in that duality constantly, right? Yet, as a society, we're so avoidant of how multi -dimensional we are, right? Like we avoid death, right? We avoid feelings, right? Like all of these things, like grief, you know, what is grief? So I'm really trying to paint like a picture of like, all of it, you will live a fuller life if you embrace duality.
because then you could live within the chaos of everything, the peaks and the valleys, the ebbs and the flows. Everything you see with a degree of equanimity, of it's not good or bad, but it's just life. And how do you find the beauty and meaning of it and learn more about yourself as you navigate it instead of just judging it, right? It's like, how do you get curious about all of the human conditions? And I think grief and death is like the most beautiful teacher for that.
Jiani (29:29)
Hmm.
Hmm.
Hmm. And as you were talking about that, your story is, you say it so lightly and I know going through that experience is very heavy and very challenging. That reminds me when I was around high school and seeing my grandpa passing away, it's really tough. He was a strong man and...
seeing he losing weight and and you know someone that I've always looked up to when I was little it's really I was confused like how can human beings be so vulnerable in times like that and and having the ability to celebrate like you say the micro gratitude um
Yes, he was able to eat today and families are able to gather today.
It really takes you kind of out of you.
being able to see.
different perspectives, the good, the bad, the hopeful, the sad, and be able to make meaning, like not dwell on any one of them, but seeing them holistically and as if you are the observer and everything is just happening and yeah.
Jelena (31:34)
Yeah.
Jiani (31:34)
So I admire you for being able to carry both worlds at such a challenging time like that.
And as we move into the space of develop, self -development, talent development, as we move into settings like company settings, group settings, and what role do you think the playfulness or the playful mindset play?
for folks who are working together toward the same mission and trying to serve a particular group of people and trying their best to make things happen. And what do you think the role childlike play or the mindset would influence their team dynamics, behaviors, pro activities, collaborations and outcomes?
Jelena (32:42)
Yeah, that's a great question. Well, I just did one. So I feel like I have a lot of data from that, you know. But I think I think there's a lot of. Benefits to play in a professional environment, that sounds like a really like, you know, counterintuitive statement, but, you know, all of the things we touched upon, right, like when you give any person.
Jiani (32:50)
Okay.
Jelena (33:11)
a space where they can just let go and take a break from life, like there's gonna be a catharsis, you know? And from that, how they think, how they feel, how they act, how they behave, I believe will be more elevated. When you look at it from a group point of view, a team, it's very team building. So it promotes trust.
amidst everyone, right? And that's like the biggest part, like one of the biggest ingredients for communication, right? And collaboration. Something else that it does is that it catalyzes creativity, which I believe is the antidote for all types of solutions to problems, right? It's like when you're practicing in creative thinking, you're not,
You're not in rigid thinking. It's like the opposite of that, right? And so when you're able to tap into this creative flow, imagine what teams can do and groups can do when they have a common problem or something to solve, right? And so when I was at the National Women's Law Center, they're dealing with very, very heavy things, right? They're dealing with social justice, gender equality, right?
So it was interesting to come in during a four day planning retreat as they figured out their year and ground that in hope and joy. So again, I really think it could help teams navigate, especially ones that are in those spaces, right? That every day it's like you're trying to just be hopeful because you're seeing the darkness, like the dark side of what humanity can be like in the world.
So yeah, I think it promotes all of those different things. And you know, you get to see different sides of people. I think it humanizes everyone, right? Because from that first time everyone throws confetti, it unlocks everyone's inner child. So I see, and it's a really, I'm a very visual person. So it's like, I do it at the end of this meditation and the beginning of my workshop where everyone throws confetti up, but with their eyes closed. And then,
they open their eyes. So all they see are like bursts of colorful rainbow explosions everywhere, right? And everyone's doing it together. I see everyone as a child on their face. Like I see them, that part of them, right? So I think it brings out the best in people. You know, when you're a kid, you're not being as self -conscious, right? You're not being reserved or like, should I say this, right? And that I think benefits anything in a team setting. Play also.
creates belonging, it also creates presence. So if teams were present and felt like they belonged and they trusted each other and they felt really good within themselves, like whole, I just think that.
What can come of that? I don't know why more companies don't do that. I just feel like such incredibleness can come from that, when you create that environment and then just give someone a problem or whatever and then see, see what happens. So yes, those are some of the things that I noticed. And I think when people have a, just on like a neurological level, like if you're playing, it's like your nervous system is calm.
Jiani (36:31)
Mm.
Jelena (36:54)
You know, you're feeling more grounded, right? Your cortisol levels aren't as high, right? Like we're, I think a lot of us are chronically in fight or flight or freeze or, you know, I know I navigate overwhelm on a day -to -day basis. So just that alone, do you know what I mean? Where everyone feels calm is, you know, something that could help in that environment.
Jiani (37:18)
Do you recommend us to kind of play as often as possible or monthly play session? Like how frequent do you think this like play, I would call it play therapy, you know, be prescribed?
Jelena (37:39)
Yeah, I think just like anything, right? It's like just like brushing your teeth, right? Like that's a day to day thing, right? Like for maintenance, for oral hygiene. But then you go to the dentist, right? Every six months, right? So I think going to something like what I do or so many other things that are out there that's incredible to see, right? That are in this space, this movement, this play movement, you know, that we're calling it.
that's kind of like going to the dentist. It's like you get to leave the house. You get also it's community building, right? Like you're connecting with other people. So you're integrating your self care with community care. And we all need doses of that. You know what I mean? Where we go into another world completely. But on a day to day basis, I think it's really vital to cultivate playfulness, right? Like for me, for instance, I can get I'm I'm a hypocrite because I
have been doing this for 10 years and, you know, I'm always telling everyone, you know, celebrate everything because we're gonna die, right? Like that's the main, like that's the why, right? Like being alive is the celebration. You don't need to reserve it or like wait, right? To feel like you earned it, you know? Like if you got a new job or this, right? It's like every day is a celebration. It's very hard for me. It's really hard for me. I have a tendency to be,
a people pleaser and a perfectionist. And I don't see this in like positive ways. I say it in like, I can take the enjoyment out of things. Like that's has been my tendency historically. And so my whole thing is like, enjoy the process, like trust the process. I think that's a really big thing with enjoying, right? And playing in my head, just like confetti equals celebration, it's play equals joy, equals, you know, hope.
Right? And so if play equals joy, then it's like the more we play, the more it can help us enjoy the present moment, like life. Right? So I'll be in an argument with my boyfriend and I have a tendency to get like, like war, you know, like, like you're my enemy right now and I need to be right. And like all of this stuff. And it's like, wait, how can I slow down? Right. And you can use your body, right? Like.
breath and just kind of like being aware of the sensations in your body. Like you said, observing it, right? Like this is all happening. And being curious about it. And then being like, okay, like, what's the goal here? And like, how can I wouldn't I've never asked myself, like, how can I be more playful right now? But how can I diffuse the tension? How can I diffuse the conflicts? Right? Like, how can I bring it back to where it's like, we can laugh again?
right? And like talk about it because when you get like triggered like that and we all do in our different ways, it doesn't have to be that extreme. Like we're not using our prefrontal cortex in our brain. It's like we're back here and we're reptile. Like it's like reptilian, you know? It's like there's no IQ. We're not in the present moment. And again, this is a lot of like trauma stuff, you know, as well. But yeah, I think.
If you're clenching, if you're grasping, if you're anxious, if you're anything for a long period of time or it's your norm, I think it's your responsibility to ask yourself, like, how can I invite more ease into this moment? How can I invite more curiosity? How can I invite more peace and love and joy? You know, and I'm worthy of feeling joy right now. Like, that's a big psychological barrier, I think, with a lot of people. I'm including myself in that.
So I think it's both. I think it's like, you know, these micro joys, as Cindy Spiegel would say, finding glimmers in your day. If you're going through a hard time, it's especially potent during that. So yeah, I would say...
Jiani (41:38)
My cord joy.
Mm.
Jelena (41:52)
promoting as much play as you can, which is very against societal norms. So anyone that's listening to this podcast, it's like all of this stuff is like, you know, you really have to.
You have to be okay being the outlier a lot of the time and changing people's perceptions around, you know, joy and celebration and life and mortality.
Jiani (42:20)
And sometimes people see the world outlier as a threat. It's like, oh, liar. It's like, oh, it's going on. But I think being an outlier on this perspective, it's just being human. You're just reminding yourself and people around you the importance of being human, the importance of play, the importance of being.
lighthearted at times. The importance to see the dualities and still live in peace and the ability to help humanities and our consciousness to evolve so everybody can live happily because we only have one life and no matter if it's by yourself or working in a team, a small team, a big team, wherever they are human beings they are
childlike wonders that we can discover and activate through confetti. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. So let's kind of, as we move into the magic portion of this conversation, I would like to give a brief recap for our audience. We've talked about the funding stories of the confetti project, how Jelena kind of evolve it through.
Jelena (43:25)
I agree. I agree.
Jiani (43:47)
taking photos and starting to advocate the importance of childlike play, childlike wonder and playful mindset. We also explored what do you mean by playful mindset and what role does it play in our busy adult life. We explored the duality view of our daily beings and we explored the importance of breaking out through
our consciousness, the wall of our consciousness to explore the authentic people that we are and embrace the improvisation of life, embracing the happiness, embrace the playfulness, embrace the inner child that everybody have. And also explored how
playfulness play a role in not only personal life, but also in spaces where innovation, problem solving are key, such as workplace, no matter how small your team is or how big your team is, and how that can contribute to innovation, creativity, and happiness, and authentic connections, and deeper connections, and trust among team members.
within the organization. So beautiful and Wonderful. It's a topic that I feel deep in my heart too. So we'll be curious what you know, what did you enjoy doing when you were 11 or
Jelena (45:13)
That's very impressive that you could do that. Oh my gosh. Wow. I'm, wow.
Jiani (45:38)
or 14 years old, that time just disappeared for you.
Jelena (45:44)
That's a great question. I have to share a story really quick. I worked with middle school girls and I did a self -love workshop. And it was so wild. This was my second time doing it and last year I was just afraid of them. Like I was just like, there's so much that happens in middle school, like developmentally. This year I had way more fun with it. I was studying, you know, like,
Because sixth grade and eighth grade is so different, right? Like from 11 to 13, right? And I was telling them, as you get older, you lose play. Are you guys feeling that? And this one girl, I'm never gonna forget this, because I've never heard someone say it like this. This one girl was like, I stopped playing when I was 11. I was like, oh my gosh, that's...
That's so, and she's like 12 or 13, right? So she's like reflecting back like a year or two prior, but it's like seeing how inundated these children are with like school pressure, extracurricular activities, you know, online, like cyber bullying and also comparisons, right? Like when I was that age, I feel very lucky that technology wasn't that, you know, it's like you,
You could go outside. Um, that was one of my favorite things to do was to go outside, um, and to just play basketball, bike around. Um, my mom was really, really strict, but her rule was like, you know, when you're studying and you're having a hard time, go outside and take a break. You know, like that was like, you know, she like allowed that, you know, um, exactly. So you can focus more.
Jiani (47:29)
That's good! So you can study harder.
Jelena (47:37)
Yeah, and so I love nature. I think nature is like one of the most healing, you know, grounding things to do as a pastime. And I really couldn't do a lot, to be honest. Like it was very strict. We couldn't watch TV. I snuck TV. So I did love, I loved storytelling and I loved, since I felt like I wasn't human, like when I was a kid, I felt like I was more of a robot.
Like that's what my parents expected me. It's like, you do this, you act this way, you wear this, you, you know, behave like this. I didn't have a sense of self when I was a child. So, you know, reading books was like, that spurred my imagination so much. It's like, I could dive into these characters and vicariously live through them. And like, they can feel the feelings that I couldn't feel, or, you know, wasn't a safe space to express them. So any type of storytelling.
Jiani (48:24)
you
Jelena (48:32)
you know, mediums and art and such. So I would say those are my favorite things. I also have to say I came across this recently. I, like I said, was always really curious. And so I loved talking to strangers and people watching and asking questions. I literally have a notebook that was called my autograph notebook. And anyone that came over to the house, like my parents, friends or family, I made them sign.
this book and date it. And I have all of the people that came to our house for like years when I was like, I don't know, like 10 to 13 or something like that. And it's like, I just love stuff like that. Like, you know, uh, keepsakes or like mementos, um, that are really sentimental.
Jiani (49:20)
collect their presence and stories in that way. It's beautiful.
Jelena (49:24)
Mm -hmm. Yeah, so those are my favorite things. What about you? I'm curious about you.
Jiani (49:29)
I love that. I, I, I was, when I was 11, I enjoy, um, getting people together and role play. So like our neighbors, I'll get them together and we'll, we'll play, um, like doctor, like doctor play and, or doctor and patient that we will mock up different scenarios and how doctors are healing and saving people.
Jelena (49:40)
Mm -hmm. Mm.
Jiani (49:59)
we'll put together like a show, like we'll do singing and some people will do dancing, some people will do like stand up comedy, and then we'll gather our parents and relatives together and say, hey, entertainment time, let's do this together. So just sit and enjoy. And then we just put up a show and just have them like enjoy and everybody's just having so much fun. And I...
When I was little, I, um, I don't, I don't, I don't have as much self doubt as I have right now. And if I think of doing something, I just do that. There's no friction. There's no hesitation. Everything just so fun. You're just so in the flow. And when you, when you, when you're an adult and you're like, ah, you know, should I do this? Should I wait? Should I, so I.
Jelena (50:40)
Mm -hmm.
Jiani (50:57)
I really wanted to bring part of that into the current life and be able to live in the present moment more. So that's kind of...
Jelena (51:08)
I'm right there with you. I'm trying to get so when I was in fifth grade, I went to public school for the first time. And that's where I started getting really shy and self -conscious. But before that, I was similar to you. I was like running around. I was making friends with everyone. I was the lead in all my school plays. I wasn't afraid to be the smartest kid in class and like to be like a leader and a teacher. I was so unbothered, you know?
Jiani (51:37)
Yeah.
Jelena (51:37)
And I'm always trying to get back to that version of myself, to be honest. Yeah. So I'm right there with you.
Jiani (51:41)
me to be that yeah to be that happy and you know happy fearless shameless
Jelena (51:49)
fearless, shameless. I think that's what it is for me, shame. Shame and all the things that our parents and families and all these things that we internalize that become our voices in our mind that aren't really our voices. But we've believed it for so long since we were in an impressionable developmental age that that's what it is. It's a lot of unlearning and deciphering is like, what's really me?
And what's actually just like roadblocks and things that I've learned that like make me not trust myself. I think self -trust is something that not many people have, I don't think. At least in New York City, looking around, it's like we're always looking for things outside of ourselves or some sort of validation when we're doubting ourselves. But...
Jiani (52:18)
Hmm.
Mm.
Jelena (52:45)
That's been another part of my mantra is like, enjoy the process and trust the process. Because that's what I did when I was a kid. And it was so much more fun. Yeah.
Jiani (52:51)
Trust the process.
Yeah, and just trust by nature like, yeah, of course it's gonna be like that. Of course it's... So may our journey continue and may our audiences who are listening to us start to ask the questions. What is my play self? What is my magic? And how do I bring that or activate that in...
places where I work, where I contribute. It's beautiful. So what is, as we conclude this podcast, what is your magic? Do you think?
Jelena (53:40)
I think my magic is I'm very aware of the big picture of life more than the average person. And so I'm very aware that time is our biggest commodity. It's our most precious commodity. And I can find the beauty in everything. I'm not saying it's easy in the moment, like you said when I was talking about my dad and this and that, but like I love life.
I think life is really beautiful. It's super hard and it's heartbreaking. And it's like we said, it's filled with duality, but like I love humans. I love being alive. Like it's such a gift. And I think I didn't realize that that's not a common perspective. You know, it's like, it's like more popular to be like everything sucks and everyone sucks and the world is dark. And I just, I just don't think that's true. Like I see beauty everywhere.
Jiani (54:24)
Hahaha
Jelena (54:36)
Like even if things feel like they're falling apart, you know? So for me, I'm always trying to like, like create this process of beauty making and meaning making, you know? That's what the confetti means to me. That's what that celebration ethos means to me. That's why play is so important because like I said, like we're all walking pieces of art. We are like, we're always changing and we have, you know, different colors and the weather changes all the time and everything's impermanent.
and is always changing and so we're always grieving and we're always, there's always something to be grateful for and so it's like living in those spaces. Yeah, so I think I would say that and also my presence being a homecoming to people. Like I've lived in so much pain most of my life that I never want anyone to feel how lonely and alone I felt most of my life growing up.
with the mom that I had. So anytime I have an interaction with people, obviously you have to be careful being an empathetic person, but it's like, I want people to heal a part of themselves just by being in my presence. And that sounds so like culty, but I mean, in the sense of like, when someone talks to me, I want them to feel safe, like they are home. And like, if the more people can do that.
It's like we can all create safety and cultivate that with each other, you know? So I would say those are, that's my magic or some of my magic. What's your magic by the way? I wanna hear.
Jiani (56:19)
My magic, actually a little bit similar to yours, I try to be as playful as I can, no matter what environment that I'm in. And sometimes it went well, sometimes it didn't go so well. My magic is to bring people into a space and I would usually visualize...
the space, it's like an empty space. Maybe there are some waters, like a very calm water and people who I talk to, who I work with, who I help, I bring them into that space. So we're able to feel peace and calm and healing. And because that's, that's what I believe as our being a human being, we're just
a spiritual being living in a human experience. And if we're able to open that space up and bring people into that space, hopefully that will.
bring peace in their heart and they will be able to carry that peace with them. So they will be able to carry that space with them. And if they come in contact with other people, they will be able to bring them into that space. So through this, we're able to spread peace and calm and happiness and invite people to think about their magic, their core essence.
Jelena (57:46)
Mm -hmm.
Jiani (58:00)
So hopefully we don't get bothered by the world's craziness and being able to live from the center, from our core, which is a peaceful place.
Jelena (58:15)
Hmm, beautiful. Yeah, it makes sense why we're on this podcast together. We have very parallel missions just personally. I love that.
Jiani (58:24)
think so yeah that's beautiful thank you so much Jelena for
sharing your story, sharing your playfulness, sharing your struggles, your challenges, and sharing your hope for us all. And being able to talk with you on this podcast and play with the idea of playfulness is very, it's a gift. I'm very grateful and I hope our audiences are having a good time listening to us.
Jelena (58:53)
Hmm.
Jiani (59:01)
as well.
Jelena (59:03)
Thank you so much, Jiani. I had a blast. We can obviously talk for hours, and we have in the past. But yeah, I can't wait for you to experience what I do. I can't wait to listen to your podcast more and all these incredible guests that you have on. I'm honored to be on it. And yeah, thank you for also.
Jiani (59:08)
Yes, yes.
Jelena (59:28)
putting all of these really important messages out there and creating a platform for people to absorb them and like you said, start playing around with the new possibilities of how to exist in this world.
Jiani (59:41)
Beautiful. I love that. And for anybody who wants to get in contact with Jelena, have her do a confetti project at your company, your organization, her contact information is in the show note below. So we encourage you to get connected and experience the magic of confetti. And can't wait to see your playful self.
Jelena (1:00:07)
Thank you.
Jiani (1:00:10)
unveiled. Thank you.
Jelena (1:00:12)
Thank you.
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