Episode 2 - Part One of Two about Play

This is Part 1 of a two-part series where we explore how to loosen up, get messy, and find your creative groove. So if you’ve ever stared at a blank page, frozen by perfectionism, or felt like your creativity needed permission to come out and play this episode’s for you. Let’s dive in! Let’s be real, somewhere along the way, creativity started to feel like pressure. Deadlines. Deliverables. Likes. Expectations. But creativity? At its core? It’s play. Think back to when you were a kid. Drawing with crayons that didn’t match. Making mud pies. Singing badly but joyfully. None of it had to be good. It just had to be. 

I remember taking photos when I first started, not to impress anyone, but because the light looked cool. Or I’d just wander around with a camera, no agenda, no shot list, just curiosity. That’s what we lose as adults. We swap wonder for strategy. But creativity flourishes when we drop the performance and rediscover the fun. So today, I want you to remember: you don’t need permission to create. You just need to remember how to play. Here’s the thing: rules are helpful until they start becoming walls. Somewhere in our creative development, we start worrying about what’s “right.” We try to stay in the lines, creatively, socially, even emotionally. 

But here’s a radical truth: the magic often lives outside the lines. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t even have to be good. You just have to start. Write the bad poem. Paint with your fingers. Use that weird filter. Whatever. It’s not about being rebellious for the sake of it. It’s about letting go of the fear of being wrong. Because wrong in creativity? Often means original. So colour outside the lines this week. Make something that breaks your own “rules.” And see what happens. Now let’s zoom out a little, because this is bigger than art. When we give ourselves permission to play, we actually become more human. We become more present, more compassionate, more connected. 

That’s the heart of people-centered living. When you embrace your own messy, playful, beautifully imperfect self, you create space for others to do the same. And when creativity becomes a mindful practice, it becomes more than self-expression, it becomes self-connection. You slow down. You listen. You remember who you are. So today, give yourself grace. And extend that same grace to the people around you. That’s what groovy creativity is all about. 

Alright, groovers, that’s Part 1. Next week in Part 2, we’re getting our hands dirty. We’ll talk creative mess, experimentation, and what it actually means to find your groove. It’s gonna be fun. Until then, your creative challenge: Make something this week just for the joy of it. No rules. No pressure. Just play. And if you feel bold, share it and tag me @thegroovycreative I’d love to see what playful mess you come up with. You’re doing amazing. Keep going. And as always, stay groovy, my friend.

Listen to this Episode’s on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.