What if you set aside one teeny tiny, teensy-weensy chunk of time each week just for messing around? No, not for that epic masterpiece you’ve been stressing about for months. This time, it’s not about creating something “important” or gallery-worthy. It’s about doodling, smashing colors together, or—if you’re like me—scribbling out some unique creatures and finding out what all those brushes in Procreate can do. A little bit like my Hypno Bat series where I experiment and play with the same image.
In this play time why not abandon the idea of finishing anything. Who cares if your new experimental piece looks like a toddler got loose with a Sharpie? It’s called creative play for a reason. Not everything needs to be framed or upload to Instagram.
Most of my creative play sessions result in absolute nonsense. But weirdly enough, that’s the beauty of it. When you stop aiming for perfection, you’ll likely stumble upon happy accidents (or complete disasters) that can teach you a thing or two about your process. Sometimes, even the messiest outcomes have little sparks of brilliance hidden in there. And guess what? They don’t exist when you’re paralysed by the fear of “getting it wrong.”
If you’re rolling your eyes and thinking, “I don’t have time for this,” trust me—I’ve been there. However if you don’t give yourself some room to play, to fail, to make garbage art, your creativity will start to stagnate. And that’s a far scarier outcome than any ugly experimental sketch. The world’s full of critics, but the worst one is often the voice in your own head. Silence that voice for a bit and give your gut instinct some room to breathe.
So, cut yourself some slack. Set a timer for an hour, and let loose. If nothing else, you’ll have gotten away from the soul-sucking perfectionism for a little while. And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, you’ll stumble upon something brilliant when you least expect it.
In the end, creative play is like letting your inner weirdo out for a walk. You might make a fool of yourself, but that’s half the fun.
Kids Book Illustrator Andy C Marshall 