Creating with Heart: The Power of Passion in a Practical World

Ever had someone ask you, “So, what do you do?”

And as you start to say “Well, I write short stories and paint on weekends…”

They cut you off with a raised brow and a polite, “Oh! So you’re just… creative?”

Yeah, that face. Like creativity is a hobby, a phase, or worse your backup plan.

Welcome to the world we live in. A place where being “productive” means monetizing every minute, and anything that doesn’t lead directly to money is considered a cute side thing.

But here’s the thing creating with heart is not a luxury, it’s a lifeline. And in this post, we’re going to talk about why your creative passions matter more than ever.

Creativity Is Not a Detour It’s the Path

Let’s get this straight: creativity isn’t the detour we take when life gives us free time. It’s the thing that makes life worth living in the first place.

We don’t write just to publish. We write to understand ourselves.

We don’t paint just to exhibit. We paint to feel alive.

We start side passion projects not to escape work, but to remember who we are outside of it.

Real Story: The Sticky Note Revolution

Take my friend Tara. She used to be a UX designer at a startup until she started leaving random sticky notes around the office with doodles and deep quotes.

Her boss thought she was losing it. Her coworkers loved it.

One note said: “Reminder: You’re not your to-do list.”

Eventually, her Instagram of sticky notes blew up. Now she sells handmade journals with those same doodles.

Did she plan that? Nope. She was just creating with heart.

Funny twist? Her old startup hired her to redesign their brand identity using her art.

Why Passion Projects Matter (Even If They Don’t Pay... Yet)

If you’re a night writer, a weekend painter, or someone who knits hats for cats congrats, you’re keeping your soul alive.

Here’s why passion projects are magic:

• • They give you a sense of control. No meetings, no deadlines (unless you make them), just you and the joy of making stuff.
  • They help you find your voice. The more you create, the more you uncover who you are beneath the noise.
  • They’re seeds. You don’t plant them for likes or cash, but sometimes they grow into something unexpectedly beautiful.

Real Story: The Midnight Blogger

I started a blog called “Midnight Thoughts & Mangoes” during the pandemic.

No niche. No strategy. Just stories about chai, failed dates, and why my cat judges me.

Guess what? One of those posts about accidentally joining a meditation Zoom for dentists got shared by a big writer.

Now I get paid to write newsletters with zero dental experience.

So don’t tell me your weird blog or TikTok videos or zine won’t matter.

Just keep creating.

Art as Rebellion in a Hustle Culture

Let’s be honest: we live in a world that praises 4 a.m. routines and side hustles stacked like pancakes.

And in the middle of all that, you decide to sit with watercolors and paint clouds?

Yes. That’s rebellion. That’s bravery.

Choosing to make something beautiful without needing it to “perform” is radical.

You’re not optimizing. You’re humanizing.

That little sketch in your notebook? That unfinished poem? That song you only play for your dog?

That’s you refusing to let the world rush you into a machine.

But…What If I’m Not “Good Enough”?

Ah yes, the inner critic. The loudmouth in your head that says:

“Why bother? You’re not a real writer.”

“Your painting looks like a potato with anxiety.”

“No one cares about your doodle of a dancing toaster.”

Here’s a truth bomb: You don’t need to be “good” to start.

You need to start to get good. And even then, being good isn’t the point.

Real Story: The Dancing Toaster Girl

My cousin’s 11-year-old daughter once drew a comic strip featuring a toaster who wanted to be a ballet dancer. She called it “Toasté.” Everyone laughed (in a good way), and she now has a mini web series about Toasté’s adventures in Paris.

She started for fun. And that’s exactly why people love it.

Make Time. Make Space. Make Bad Art.

If there’s one takeaway from this post, let it be this:

Create like no one’s watching. And keep doing it even when they start.

Make time for your creativity even if it’s 10 minutes a day.

Make space physically and emotionally for play.

Make bad art bad poems, silly stories, weird videos.

And then make better ones.

And then fall in love with the process, not the praise.

Your Creative Heart Is Your Compass

When the world feels overwhelming, when productivity turns you into a machine, when everyone’s measuring success in metrics go make something.

Paint. Write. Doodle. Film. Stitch. Build. Record.

Whatever it is, create with heart.

Not for applause.

Not for followers.

Not for money.

But because it reminds you that you’re human.

So go on. Make something weird. And wild. And true. And when you do, remember…

You don’t need permission to matter.