Creative Playground: Staying Creative When Nothing “Great” Is Happening

Not every creative session is going to be your best work. And that’s the point. There’s a version of creativity we all love, the kind that shows up fully formed, surprises you, and makes you sit back and say, that’s the one. But most of creativity doesn’t look like that. Most of it looks like you on the couch with a laptop open, coffee nearby, screen glow on your face, just playing.

Some nights I’ll open Photoshop (or pull out the iPad) with no real plan. I’m not trying to create something “post-worthy.” I’m not polishing a deliverable. I’m just playing with ideas. Layouts. Compositions. Type. Color. Crops. Little tweaks that may or may not turn into anything useful. From pulling from different assets I have, whether that is photos, vectors, or stock photos.  I look for elements that have a texture I love, lighting, or objects to build around.  

Some days, I make something I absolutely love.

And other days… what I make is honestly just okay, and it never sees the light of day.  Sometimes it may feel like a few hours playing, and the output wasn’t impressive, so it was wasted time. But I’ve learned that these “okay” sessions are doing something important: they keep the creative engine going.

When you mess with layouts without pressure, you’re training your eye. When you try a new composition, and it looks weird, you’re learning what doesn’t work. When you scroll through old projects and remember what you used to love, you’re reconnecting with your instincts. It’s like a gym for the creative muscle.

Not every workout is a personal record. Some days you just show up, move a little, and leave. And somehow those quiet, unremarkable reps are what make bigger moments possible.

That’s what a “creative playground” is for.

A space where you can make something mediocre on purpose. Where you can experiment without consequences. Where you’re allowed to chase curiosity instead of perfection. Because the goal isn’t to always produce something client-ready—the goal is to stay in creative mode, even when life is busy or work is heavy, or inspiration feels distant.

And here’s the thing: the quiet sessions are doing more work than you think.

They’re building taste.
They’re strengthening confidence.
They’re keeping you moving forward.

So if you’re in a slow season, or a stuck season, or a season where everything you touch just feels average, this is your permission to play. Open the laptop. Start a file. Try something silly. Make something average. Close it out.

And trust that it counts.