This Isn’t About Perfection. It’s About Survival.

My art doesn’t always look good. Sometimes it just keeps me going—and that’s enough.

Aug 23, 2025

Hi friends—we are deep into the final days of summer here, and damn it’s been rough. If you’re feeling it like me, you’re definitely a little frayed around the edges by now. Between the heat, health stuff, and general life chaos, my creative practice has been hanging on—but it’s lately it’s looked a bit different. Slower. Smaller. Maybe even a bit sporadic.

Today, we’re gonna chat a bit about how I stay creative even when I’m not feeling great. Whether it’s chronic illness, a rough season, or just one of those weeks where everything feels like too much—this one’s for you.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this email:

The one mindset shift that changed everything
Why small creative acts still matter
Five strategies I rely on when I’m sick, tired, or overwhelmed

Your Creativity Still Matters—Even on the Hard Days

It took me a long time to feel even close to where being creative and sick at the same time was even remotely acceptable. For years, the idea of rest and creativity felt like polar opposites in my brain. I thought if I wasn’t giving 100%, then I wasn’t living up to my potential and it just didn’t count. And that sucked.

As someone with a chronic illness, there are always going to be days where I’m not at 100%—and tbh there are some days where I’m barely at 40%. I couldn’t just keep beating myself up; I needed to figure something out. So I worked on it—in therapy, in my Daily Pages, in real life—and eventually, I got to a place where I could stop feeling ashamed or bitter when I wasn’t showing up perfectly.

Today, I’m going to share with you five things that really helped me make peace with my imperfect, inconsistent, amazing-on-its-own-terms creative practice.

1. Make Stuff That Sucks

This was the biggest game-changer.

I had the need to create, but not the mental or physical capacity to make things the way I was used to. At first, that mismatch made me feel inadequate. But once I gave myself full permission to just make stuff—without worrying about what it looked like or whether it was “good”—everything shifted.

Now, I think about my everyday creativity like movement. I'm not trying to perform or impress. I'm just here to stretch those muscles so they don’t lock up. A little movement is better than none. A little creativity is still creativity.

Your Turn: What could you make today if it didn’t have to be good?

2. Smaller Projects, Less Pressure

I’m a big-ideas person. I love thinking up elaborate projects. But when I’m not feeling well, my brain short-circuits with all the moving parts. Daily Pages helped me find a rhythm again. I could still make something even when all I had in me was stickers and washi tape.

And even if one page didn’t tell a deep story, the pages added up. That notebook became a story of showing up.

Your Turn: Where can you scale down without giving up?

3. Just Play

When in doubt, I play. I go back to what feels good—repeating stamped backgrounds, collage scraps, cutting out stuff without knowing why.

There’s no pressure to make it “mean something.” Just simple, low-stakes joy. These play sessions taught me what I could do on good days and on bad days.

Your Turn: What’s your go-to creative comfort activity?

4. Say the Quiet Part Out Loud

Sometimes my pages just have straight unfiltered truth:

“Today sucks.”
“Headache day.”
“Didn’t sleep again.”

Those pages are part of my story. Being sick isn’t shameful, and it doesn’t make me less of an artist. It’s just something I live with—and that reality deserves space in my creative life. I also think it really helps to bring a bunch of context to your pages.

Your Turn: What would it feel like to put the hard stuff on the page?

5. Add Constraints, Not More Decisions

When I’m feeling really rough, I don’t give myself more choices—I give myself less. I’ll limit myself to one or two supplies, or just pull from what’s already on my desk.

Fewer decisions = more capacity to actually do something. Whether it’s some new supplies, old stuff from my stash, or just scraps—simplifying helps me create from a calmer place.

Your Turn: What could you remove from your creative setup this week to make things easier?

If you’re in a tough season right now, I want you to know that you’re not alone—and you don’t have to abandon your creativity while you wait to “feel better.” It’s okay to create slowly. It’s okay to make things that don’t make sense yet. It’s okay to rest.

Your story matters even on the hard days.

Here’s what we covered today:

You can still create when you’re not at 100%
Small pages, low-pressure play, and honest stories are enough
Constraints can help you get back into flow

Action step: Pick one strategy above and try it out—then tell me how it went in the comments.

Talk to you next week!

xoxo,

Kristin

P.S. If you’re enjoying these newsletters, please consider sharing this edition with a friend who might need a little creative boost today.