> The Playful and the Serious: An approximation to Huizinga's Homo Ludens
James Mickens is another example, though he leans toward being a humorist first rather than a Serious Person being a bit playful.
The author of TFA is right to position it at the beginning of the creative process. When the fun is over, skills, craftsmanship and problem solving need to take over before the final outcome becomes real.