Some days (okay, maybe a lot of days lately), the world feels heavy. There’s a constant stream of bad news, endless mind-numbing scrolling, and a growing sense that everything’s just… too much. It’s easy to feel stuck, drained, and uninspired. I’ve had a few conversations with friends about how easy it is to feel like, ‘what’s the point of being creative when everything is on fire?’
But I think realistically, creativity is exactly what we need right now. Not just to escape, but to process, to resist, to connect, and to most importantly just freaking breathe.
I think one of the most important things to remember is that you do not have to force yourself to be positive in order to create. If you feel angry, anxious, or just plain tired? Own it. Use it. Creativity doesn’t require constant joy. In fact, some of the most powerful art comes from the more difficult emotions. Make messy things. Make raw things. Make things that don’t have to make sense, especially to anyone but you.
You don’t need to finish writing a book or paint a masterpiece right now. You don’t even need to have a plan. If all you can do is scribble in your journal for five minutes or crochet one row of a scarf, that’s enough. Let go of the pressure to be productive or impressive. Just make something, anything. Small acts of creation can add up to something big, and they can help you reclaim a little piece of control in an unpredictable world.
What you consume affects what you create. If the endless doomscrolling is crushing your soul (been there), step back. Unfollow the chaos for a bit. Mute the noise. It’s okay to stay informed, but it’s also okay to not be available to every crisis 24/7. I know I have felt guilty for having that privilege to mute the bad stuff, but I have to remind myself: I need to take care of myself right now. If the only thing you do today is make yourself feel a little bit better, that’s a great achievement.
Try taking a break from the doomscroll to feed yourself things that make you feel alive: poetry, music, weird little indie films, old Tumblr art, nature walks, vintage books that feel nostalgic. Fill your tank with the stuff that reminds you why you give a damn in the first place.
Ask yourself: why did you start making things in the first place? Was it to connect? To express something you couldn’t say out loud? To escape? To feel powerful in a world that often makes us feel powerless?
The world might feel like it’s going to sh*t, but your creativity still matters. Your voice still matters. Making things, no matter how small, weird, unfinished, or angry, is an act of hope. Of resistance. Of presence. The world needs a lot more of that right now.