018 Play and Pressure

We wrestle with the moment art stops feeling like play and starts feeling like pressure, then trace how that shift shows up as guilt, perfectionism, and constant productivity. I also share concrete ways to protect your joy while still taking your craft seriously. • remembering how playful creation starts and why it changes over time • facing our own harsh inner critic and the gap between taste and skill • noticing when goals turn into identity and steal the present moment • creating “me time” art alongside audience-facing work • breaking routines to invite experimentation over optimization • choosing authenticity over trends and building community over algorithms