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Define Play

@defineplay

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What does play mean to you?
Interviews on YouTube + podcast, new shorts coming fall 2026 ⏳ Hosted by @michael_mirza, produced by @rfloresstory

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Hi, I’m Michael, and I’m an artist. ✊ See for yourself at michaelmirza.com 🎨 by @defineplay

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4 months ago

Which perfume is @michael_mirza reacting to? 🤔 Don’t miss the last segment of the interview with Russell Weiss, in which Russell gives a tour of his most playful @deepfieldaromatics creations. Watch the full video through the link in our bio. 👃💐🪵🌾🍂 taken in Chicago, Illinois by @defineplay

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10 months ago

I chopped this segment from the full interview and now regret it, so this clip is a social exclusive. 🥲 In it, Russell Weiss, of @deepfieldaromatics, explains the importance of sitting with a perfume before evaluating it, in contrast to the way most people shop for fragrance. There’s a lot to be said about applying this mindset to other art and media as well.

Learn more about Russell’s creative process, and find a discount code for his products, through the link in our bio. taken in Chicago, Illinois by @defineplay

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10 months ago

Failure is a necessary part of the creative process, and is even necessary in play. We need safety to make mistakes if we want to reap the benefits of trial-and-error.

Russell Weiss is a self-taught perfumer as well as teacher of perfumery to Chicago high school students. Learn more about @deepfieldaromatics through Russell’s full interview, linked in our bio. taken in Chicago, Illinois by @defineplay

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10 months ago

How does your nose play? Some questions for you to ponder:

1. What’s a scent you find nostalgic?
2. What’s your favorite smell to encounter in the wild?
3. What are two (or more!) scents you’d like to blend together?

If you enjoyed these questions, you’ll probably love the new interview with @deepfieldaromatics on our YouTube channel, linked in our bio. 💁🏻‍♂️

Play requires room to fail, and creativity is fostered through trial and error. These insights from Russell Weiss, a self-taught perfumer and multimedia artist, offer direction toward the risks & rewards of the creative process. Russell is the owner of Deep Field, a Chicago-based perfume studio specializing in botanical-forward fragrances. In this interview, Michael and Russell discuss perfume-making, philosophy, and the power of playfulness in creating art and teaching others.

#podcast #perfume #colognereviews #perfumelovers #fragrance #fragrancereview #naturalperfume #botanicalart #artbusiness #creativity #powerofplay #playfulpeople #workandplay #philosophy #aperspectiveofjoy #intentionalliving #liveauthentic taken in Chicago, Illinois by @defineplay

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10 months ago

“Flow state” got referenced in multiple Define Play interviews, especially the ones with @wholeparent, @davidhardinfit, @whitelucymusic, and @timmbloem. It’s that powerful form of work or play when time disappears and you’re completely absorbed. Here are a few tips for cultivating that sometimes-elusive state of being and creating.

Recorded in August while camping and kayaking in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

#creativityunleashed #workandplay #creativityhacks #flowstateofmind #flowstagram #playfulpeople taken in Upper Peninsula of Michigan by @defineplay

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10 months ago

Black Friday? More like Black De-Fri Play, amirite? Introducing our show shop, with designs by @michael_mirza. All products are made to order. defineplay.com/shop (link in bio) taken in Chicago, Illinois by @defineplay

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a year ago

New episode available now: “My Own Definition of Play.”

Seven months ago, I (@michael_mirza) started asking fascinating people what “play” means to them, with the help of my friend and videographer, @rfloresstory. After learning a lot, both on and off camera, I’m sharing my own definition. Stick around for a preview of where this show is going in the future. Watch now through the link in our bio.

Thank you for joining us on the journey! And thank you to my incredible guests so far (by order of appearance): @timmbloem @megdejong @davidhardinfit @therealdjrockon @_missbehavior @sarahrcorley @abelopez @wholeparent @penleyperspective @whitelucymusic @cicarson @dj_vinyl_richie @iamphasha @reneeerez @jreidwashington @magicintheunfolding @colorfulspikes @sarahkatreen @gilisdarthdadjokes taken in Chicago, Illinois by @defineplay

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a year ago

If poetry is the most playful kind of writing, is there anything more meta than poetic prose about play? Here @gilisdarthdadjokes shares her poem, “Play is a Need.” Watch her full interview, along with five other mini interviews from @summercamprewind in August, through the link in our bio. taken in Oregon Outdoor Education Center by @defineplay

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a year ago

Improv acting is creative and collaborative play… with an audience. Watch @sarahkatreen’s mini interview, along with others from @summercamprewind, through the link in our bio! taken in Oregon Outdoor Education Center by @defineplay

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a year ago

Spouses who love @disneyland 🏰 In this clip, @magicintheunfolding and @colorfulspikes share how childlike wonder, cultivated through frequent trips to @disneyparks, help them play and connect.

Watch Erin and Eli’s mini interviews, along with others from @summercamprewind, through the link in our bio.

#disneylovers #disneycastlife #disneycastmember #theatertech #imagineering #amusementparks #themeparks #playlikeachild #workandplay #podcast taken in Oregon Outdoor Education Center by @defineplay

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a year ago

We come into the world ready for play, says @jreidwashington of @jivanafarmwashington. How do we reclaim a spirit of playfulness once we’ve been taught to stifle it?

Watch Josh’s mini interview, along with five others from @summercamprewind, though the link in our bio.

#workandplay #podcast #intentionalliving #playfulness #aperspectiveofjoy #flowerfarmer #kidatheart #pnwlife taken in Oregon Outdoor Education Center by @defineplay

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a year ago