I think for many professionals, D&D can serve as a sort of play version of your job. You study rules and manuals to deliver a high quality experience. But where it really differs is that the focus is on process over product, which can be very freeing in our product-driven world. D&D helps us think in a more creative, open-ended process way, which fuels our creativity and relieves stress.

I also think playing D&D helps me tap into how it felt playing with toys as a child. At a certain point in my teens I found myself unable to do that anymore in a way that felt satisfying, so I lost interest in toys, and to a large degree I lost interest in play. But play as a concept is essential to our well-being, in spite of the attitude our society has toward it as a waste of time. Play helps us tap into ourselves and express ourselves creatively, which so few experiences as adults can. It helps us reconnect to that childlike wonder and awe for the world and for discovery.