Protecting your creative joy

Creative pursuits often start from a place of joy or curiosity. We picked up those paints, pencils, or spools of yarn because we wanted to revisit the fun we once had when we used to do them or see what it’s like to create, to make something with our hands. In many ways, the creative joy we derive from these moments sparks further creativity. (When we find ourselves doing something we love, or at the very least enjoy, it helps us get into the flow, to stay focused and keep creating.)

However, as much as creative joy can flourish, it can also disappear. When hobbies that delight us become weighed down by expectations or pressure, what was once a joyful activity can start to feel like an obligation, or worse, lead to burnout. So how do we protect our creative joy? How do we keep our hobbies and passion projects rooted in play rather than pressure?

Don’t equate your hobby with productivity

Creativity typically happens in two different spaces—work and play. For work, creative entrepreneurs have to consider deadlines, clients, overhead costs, or all of the above. You have to finish a collection, complete a project, and deliver. For work, there is a structure and a timeline. You make because you need to produce, and what you produce allows you to earn a living. Then there’s play, where you make for the sake of making. Where you just show up because you want to be there, not because you have to produce x amount of products. You show up to explore and see where your muse takes you. It’s no wonder that creative joy often shows up in this space.

But even when we’re supposed to be in a state of play with our creative hobbies and passion projects, the joy we derive from them can fade. It can happen when we begin to worry—if the finished product will be good enough, or if we can make more to maximize our time and effort. “When our hobbies have to be justified through our output or profit, we lose their restorative quality,” says Common Room co-founder Maan Agsalud. 

Check those expectations by the door

When you reach for your arts and crafts tools, one thing you must let go of is your expectations. They are one of the biggest thieves of joy. They can be quite sneaky, too. One minute you’re in the middle of doing a watercolor painting, the next, you’re crossing your fingers that it will be better than the last one you made, or even that it will turn out beautiful enough to post and gain a substantial amount of likes in your IG account.

When you expect certain outcomes or scenarios for how your creative project will turn out or be received, it puts pressure on your creativity. In turn, it can distract you and keep you from being fully present in what you’re doing. Worse, it can create anxieties around your creative practice. “Judging the outcome too early turns creativity into a test or a need to pass certain criteria—instead of just enjoying what you’re doing,” explains Maan.

Get off the screen

Whether it’s documenting and treating every project you make as social media content or scrolling through endless posts, screen time is another obstacle to being present. Being present helps protect our creative joy, but when we hold on to our phones (or keep them within reach) while we’re making, it takes our attention away from our craft.

Aside from keeping us distracted—and preventing us from getting into the flow of things—our small handheld device can also lead us to browse other people’s curated feeds. These artists or creatives can inspire as much as they can trigger unreasonable comparisons. What nice studios they have! They make it look so easy. Maybe it is easier for them. Why do they get more followers? They seem to have it all together! Turn off your phone, put it in airplane mode, or even leave it in another room. This will help you stay more present and only hear the calling of your creative mind, without the incessant pull of notification alerts.

Yes, you can mess it up

Making mistakes and messing things up are often looked upon as something to avoid. However, they can turn a lot less intimidating when, instead of seeing them as failures, we look at them as simply part of the process. Maan shares, “Mistakes are often where discovery happens.”

Those unexpected detours because of the mistakes you make can lead to somewhere more interesting than you originally planned. A color combination that doesn’t quite work, a technique that feels a little off—they can open up new directions or give you ideas you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. Creative joy grows when you make room for imperfections, curiosity, and some happy accidents.

Give yourself a break

Even if we love our hobbies or creative projects, they can still overwhelm us when we end up putting too many expectations and distractions around them. You can also be experiencing creative burnout if you’re physically exhausted and you feel like you have nothing left to give. Take these signals as a time to pause. It can be simple activities, from making yourself a cup of tea, picking up the book you’ve been putting off, or stepping outside for a walk. “Taking breaks from a hobby is okay. It’s not a failure. Sometimes protecting creative joy means stepping away for a bit and not pushing through,” says Maan.

You can also think of it, as Maan offers, “as going on little creative side quests.” Take your cue from athletes who cross-train—working different muscle groups by engaging in other sports. So if you’re feeling stuck on a painting you’re doing, for example, you can try your hand at crocheting or pottery. Trying different creative activities builds your creative muscles for other skills or perspectives. Jumping into a new activity allows you to return to a beginner mindset, where you can create, minus the pressure or expectations. Stepping away doesn’t have to mean losing momentum—it’s what may help you come back to it when that creative spark returns.

Protecting your creative joy isn’t about doing more. It’s about returning, again and again, through messes and distractions. When you make for its own sake, when you choose play over pressure, you give your creativity the space it needs to stay alive, curious, and yours.