Make Something Ridiculous Today

Somewhere between tight deadlines, urgent invoices, client revisions, and the constant buzz of productivity, we creatives often forget something vital:

Play.

Not just the silly kind—though that has its place too—but the kind of play that reminds you why you became a designer, illustrator, writer, or freelancer in the first place. That midnight project that lit up your brain. That joyful curiosity. That moment when making felt like magic, not work.

But what happens when life gets heavy? When the pressure mounts and the stakes feel too high to experiment? The answer might be the opposite of what you think.

The Myth of "Now's Not the Time"

Let’s face it—when life gets serious, our instinct is to “get serious” too. We tighten up. We cut back on anything that doesn’t directly lead to results. And often, the first casualty is play.

We tell ourselves:

• “I can’t waste time on this now.”
• “I need to be practical.”
• “I’ll get back to fun stuff when things calm down.”

Here’s the trap: things rarely calm down.

The inbox will refill. New projects will arrive. Financial uncertainty, family issues, and creative block—it’s all part of the freelancer’s ecosystem. Waiting for the “perfect” time to play is like waiting for the sea to stop moving so you can take a swim.

Why Play Matters More When Things Get Hard

Play isn’t just about fun—it’s about adaptability. Neuroscientists have found that play literally rewires our brains to become more flexible, more resilient, and more creative in the face of stress. That’s not fluff. That’s biology.

When life feels heavy, playful thinking can unlock:

• New solutions to stubborn problems
• Fresh energy when you're drained
• Creative confidence after a streak of setbacks
• A sense of control when things feel uncertain

It’s not childish to play—it’s strategic.

“The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.” 
— Dr Stuart Brown, psychiatrist and founder of the National Institute for Play

But What Does “Staying Playful” Actually Mean?

Let’s not confuse this with forced positivity or ignoring your responsibilities. Staying playful isn’t about denial—it’s about perspective. It’s choosing to approach even the serious stuff with curiosity, experimentation, and maybe a touch of irreverence.

Here’s what that might look like for freelancers and designers:

Tiny Personal Projects

A five-minute sketch before starting work. A nonsense logo design. A short loop animation. Something pointless but fun. It doesn’t need a purpose. Its value is that you did it for the joy of doing it.

Play with Constraints

Constraints are often seen as the enemy of creativity. Flip that. Choose your own playful constraint:

• Only use one typeface.
• Design a poster in 10 minutes.
• Build a fake brand for your pet.

These limitations can force you out of your normal patterns—and that’s where the good stuff happens.

Inject Play into Client Work

Yes, even real projects can have play in them. If a brief feels dry, ask: What’s the most unexpected way I could interpret this? You might not present that version, but it could lead you somewhere surprising.

Sometimes I’ll open a new document and make a “nonsense version” of the work before I start on the “real” one. More often than not, ideas from the nonsense creep their way into the final.

Use Play to De-Stress

Try treating stress like a creative brief:

• “Design a way to turn today’s panic into art.”
• “Make something that reflects how this week has felt.”
• “Make something no one will ever see but you.”
• “Draw how stress feels, not how it looks.”

It doesn’t have to be polished. It doesn’t even have to be shared. But it can be surprisingly soothing—and oddly productive.

Invite Others to Play

Creativity doesn’t have to be lonely. Host a tiny design challenge with a friend. Swap ideas. Make up a ridiculous prompt together. Collaboration often brings laughter—and laughter leads to better ideas.

The Freelance Danger: Confusing Seriousness with Success

There’s a quiet pressure in freelance life to appear serious in order to be taken seriously. To be professional. Efficient. Strategic. And yes, clients want to know you’re competent—but they also come to you because you bring something they can’t: a unique perspective.

Playfulness isn’t the opposite of professionalism—it’s the soul of creative originality.

Think of the studios, artists, and designers whose work you admire. Chances are, they’re not only good—they’re playful. They take risks. They break rules. They’re not afraid to follow odd ideas.

Staying playful reminds people (and yourself) that you’re not just a service provider—you’re a creator.

Real Talk: It’s Hard Sometimes

If you’re in a season of stress, burnout, or just sheer exhaustion, play might feel completely out of reach. That’s okay. You’re not failing if you don’t feel playful.

But consider this: you don’t need to feel light to make something light-hearted. Sometimes making something playful is the very thing that lifts the heaviness.

Start small. Pick something with no expectations. Give yourself 15 minutes. And if it’s rubbish? Even better—you’ve already won. The goal was never perfection. It was presence.

A Note to Perfectionists (Hi, I See You)

One of the biggest blockers to play is perfectionism. That nagging voice that says, “This is a waste of time unless it leads somewhere.”

But the irony? Most of your best ideas probably started as playful sketches, silly experiments, or throwaway thoughts you didn’t overthink.

Give yourself permission to waste time. Give yourself permission to make ugly stuff. That’s where the gold hides.

Final Thought: Serious Work, Playful Spirit

Life will get serious. Projects will demand excellence. Bills will need paying. But in the middle of all that, your creativity is still yours.

Staying playful isn’t about ignoring the hard stuff—it’s about surviving it with your spark intact.

It’s the artist’s rebellion. The freelancer’s secret weapon. The designer’s edge.

So if things feel heavy today, open a blank page and make something ridiculous.

You might find something brilliant hidden inside the mess.