By the time Soledad Piñero Misa ended her talk, the room was filled with emotions. It seemed like everybody left yearning for more, so we thought it might be a good idea to keep the conversation going. Here’s what she told us.

Great talk! Do you feel playful on stage?

I would say it is a blend of play and structure. For me being playful is being present, sharing from the heart, not overthinking things. While giving a speech you still need to focus on the message, keep this structure. Let’s say it is 60% play and 40% being aware. When you play, you lose sense of time, while giving a speech you still need to be aware of people, of what you want to convey.

How did the idea of Retoy first come up? 

I wanted to create something where play and joy were central and would lead to children experiencing how fun it is to be environmentally friendly and to change the world for the better. 

The most important moment was when I asked myself the question “what would I do if I only had a few years left to live? Would I work? What would my life look like?” My instinctive answer was that I would work, probably harder than ever. I would work with children, preferably in refugee camps.

My son was just old enough to understand where the things around him came from and began to question why the things we had and the food we ate were not all produced in ways that help people and the environment, wouldn’t hurt them.

In the process of explaining things to him, I realized that there was a tremendous opportunity to help children understand the ways in which their choices affect themselves and the lives of others. If more children live lives in which their rights were respected and change consumption patterns so that we stop abusing the earth’s resources, in such a way that leads to climate change and natural disasters, we would drive less children to end up in refugee camps. The idea of Retoy was born!

What’s your dream goal with Retoy - where do you want it to go? 

The dream goal with Retoy is for all children around the world to experience and enjoy their rights fully, as well as experiencing how much fun it is to be environmentally conscious. We start with the playfulness and creativity that is already present in each child and use that to inspire them. We want them to feel that they can be part of playing their way to a better world. 

What would be your message to the Creative Mornings Community?

Be more honest with yourself. Have courage to create space for things you love. Play and at the same time take responsibility for things you love to happen. If you play, things will come to you naturally. Find a combination between what love you love and what contributes to a better world!

Image by: Retoy