🎧 Prefer to listen? Tune into this week’s episode of The Playful Art & Heart Podcast where we explore how to release creative guilt and rediscover the joy of play. It’s a gentle reminder that your creativity doesn’t need to be earned — it’s already yours.

If you’ve ever looked at your beautiful collection of creative supplies and felt a pang of guilt instead of joy, you’re not alone. In this week’s episode of The Playful Art & Heart Podcast, we’re continuing our Invitation to Play series with a conversation that every creative woman needs to hear — how to release the guilt of unused things and rediscover the joy of play.

The Weight of Unused Things

There’s something bittersweet about those untouched journals, sticker sheets, and art supplies sitting quietly on your shelf. They once represented hope and possibility — a promise to yourself that you’d make more time for creativity. But when life gets busy, those same treasures can start to feel like reminders of what you haven’t done.

It’s not just about being busy. It’s about the invisible mental load we carry every day — the appointments, the caretaking, the endless to-do lists. By the time the day ends, there’s often nothing left for you. And so, the guilt creeps in.

The Real Meaning Behind the Guilt

Here’s the truth: that guilt isn’t proof that you’re lazy or unmotivated. It’s actually a quiet whisper from your inner artist saying, “Hey, I’m still here. I miss you.”

That guilt is a messenger, not an enemy. It’s your creativity tugging gently on your sleeve, reminding you that you’ve been putting yourself last for too long.

We’ve been taught that rest, play, and creativity are rewards for when everything else is done. But what if they’re not rewards at all? What if they’re the fuel that helps you show up for everything else with more energy and joy?

Redefining What Matters Most

Your well-being isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation that everything else depends on. When you’re running on empty, it doesn’t matter how many tools or supplies you have — you can’t pour from an empty cup.

So when you take even five minutes to doodle, decorate your planner, or paint just for fun, you’re not wasting time. You’re refilling your soul. You’re reminding your nervous system that it’s safe to slow down, to play, to take up space.

Play isn’t frivolous. It’s how we come home to ourselves.

The 5-Minute Invitation

If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect time” to use your creative things, this is your invitation to start now — and make it easy.

Set a timer for five minutes. Pick one of those “someday” supplies — your cute planner, a sticker sheet, that unopened watercolor set — and use it without a goal.

Doodle. Write a single word that describes how you feel. Add a sticker or two just because you like them. Play with color.

There are no rules. The goal isn’t to make something perfect, it’s simply to reconnect. When you lower the bar to five minutes, the guilt fades and the joy returns.

Reflection

Affirmation:

“My well-being is the foundation of everything else."

Journal Prompt:

✨ “What creative supplies or hobbies have I been saving for the ‘perfect time,’ and what’s stopping me from enjoying them now?”

Let yourself sit with that. If guilt comes up, let it. It just means you care, and it means you’re ready to reconnect with the part of you that wants to play again.

A Loving Note to End On

You are not defined by how much you produce or how many projects you finish. You are creative by nature, even when everything around you feels unfinished.

Joy doesn’t need to be earned. You deserve it now, exactly as you are.

So this week, pick one small, pretty thing from your creative stash and give yourself permission to use it. Not to get something done, but simply to play.

If this message spoke to your heart, share it with a friend who might need the same reminder. And if you’d love more gentle inspiration each week, you can join my newsletter down below.

Until next time, take care of yourself and keep creating what feels true to you.