Shownotes
Why does making time for creativity sometimes feel selfish?
In Episode 9 of Create Anyway: You’re Allowed to Make Art, we explore a feeling many adult creatives struggle with but rarely discuss openly: the guilt of choosing yourself.
When you have a full life — a career, family responsibilities, and daily obligations — carving out time for art can feel uncomfortable. You may wonder whether spending time painting, writing, recording music, or pursuing another creative passion is irresponsible or indulgent.
But creativity isn’t selfish.
This episode examines why so many adults experience guilt when pursuing personal creative work and how that feeling often comes from cultural expectations around productivity, responsibility, and self-sacrifice.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why adults feel guilty making time for art
- How productivity culture affects creativity
- The difference between selfishness and self-expression
- Why creative time can improve other areas of your life
- How to reclaim personal space for artistic exploration
If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable prioritizing your own creative voice, this conversation will help you rethink what it means to invest in yourself.
Making art isn’t about abandoning responsibility.
It’s about remembering that you’re allowed to grow, explore, and express something that belongs only to you.
You’re allowed to choose yourself.
And you’re allowed to create anyway.
1. Where the Guilt Comes From
Most of us were taught that responsibility means putting others first.
Career. Family. Stability. Service.
So when we invest time in something personal — especially something uncertain like art — it can feel like we’re breaking an unwritten rule.
2. Productivity Culture and Self-Worth
We’ve been conditioned to measure our value through output.
If something doesn’t generate income, solve a problem, or help someone else immediately, it can feel indulgent.
Art challenges that belief.
3. Creativity as Personal Space
For many adults, art becomes the only space that belongs solely to them.
Not work.
Not family.
Not obligation.
Just exploration.
And claiming that space can feel uncomfortable at first.
4. The Fear of Taking Time From Others
Another layer of guilt is the fear that time spent on art takes something away from the people we care about.
But creative fulfillment often makes us more present, thoughtful, and energized in the rest of our lives.
5. Choosing Yourself Isn’t Abandoning Others
Making art isn’t selfish.
It’s an act of self-respect.
And when you respect your own creative life, you model something powerful for the people around you: that personal growth doesn’t stop just because adulthood started.
Takeaways:
- There's this sneaky little guilt that creeps in when you decide to dive back into creating art, almost like your inner critic is judging you for wanting some fun.
- Life is overflowing with responsibilities, and it's totally normal to feel like making art is a luxury we can't afford, but trust me, it's essential!
- Choosing to focus on your creativity can feel selfish, but that guilt often means you're onto something truly important for your well-being and self-expression.
- Creating art is not just about the end product; it’s about nurturing your inner self, which in turn empowers you to be present for all the other responsibilities in your life.
- We often prioritize work and others above our passions, but remember, taking time for yourself to create is not selfish—it's a vital investment in your happiness.
- Ultimately, making art helps you show up better in all areas of your life, so don’t let guilt stop you; embrace your creativity and share your unique voice with the world!
How do I get such great guests?
PodMatch I use Podmatch to get the best guests on the show. Check out PodMatch if you want to be a guest on other podcasts or if you have a podcast and need guests for your show. Guests from Podmatch
Want to be a guest on Create Art Podcast? Send Timothy Brien a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/createartpodcast
Make Sharing your podcast easier
Use Podcast Beacon for the best NFS products to share your podcast while out and about or at conferences.
Reach Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
- Email: [email protected]
- YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
- IG: @createartpodcast
- Twitter: @createartpod
- Create Art Podcast Hotline (540) 300-1793
- SpeakPipe https://www.speakpipe.com/Create_Art_Podcast_Hotline
Create Art Podcast Newsletter
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast, please share it with a friend, as that is the best way to discover new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes, so let me know what you would like to see.
Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.
For all of my projects, check out my portfolio website TKBPodcaststudio.com, where I help my clients through quiet professionalism lead through the noise.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Transcripts
There's a quiet kind of guilt that shows up when you decide to make art again.
Speaker A:And it's not because anyone told you not to, but because life is already full.
Speaker A:You have responsibilities, people depend on you.
Speaker A:And there's ways, there's always way, always things, more practical things that you could be doing.
Speaker A:So when you sit down to write or to paint or to record, that small voice is asking a difficult question.
Speaker A:Shouldn't you do something more useful?
Speaker A:In this episode, we're going to be talking about the guilt of choosing yourself and why making space for creativity can feel selfish and why that feeling might actually mean you're doing something important.
Speaker A:Hello, friend.
Speaker A:This is Timothy Keem o', Brien, your head instigator for Create Art podcast, where I bring over 30 years of experience in the arts and education world to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume.
Speaker A:So we're continuing on with Create Anyways, you're allowed to Make Art series.
Speaker A:And this one is a tough one.
Speaker A:This one is something that I struggle with.
Speaker A:We're going to be talking about choosing yourself and the guilt behind that.
Speaker A:It's really important that you choose yourself, that you allow yourself the time to explore your creativity and to get better at it and to express yourself through it.
Speaker A:I know I've struggled with it.
Speaker A:I have family, I have a career.
Speaker A:And we're going to be talking about that today and how you can integrate that.
Speaker A:And that's pretty much what this whole series is about anyways.
Speaker A:But we're actually going to go right at the heart of the matter and try to deal with that guilt of choosing yourself and showing you how it's not selfish and how it is necessary for your art and for you as a whole person.
Speaker A:So since we're talking about guilt, let's find out where that comes from.
Speaker A:Now, a lot of times, and I'm.
Speaker A:It's happened with me is that we're taught that responsibility means putting others first.
Speaker A:First.
Speaker A:And that's all well and good, but it's not always the case.
Speaker A:I'm not saying dump everything in your life and go out and create art and just forget your family, forget your career and all that.
Speaker A:What I am saying, though, is that we got to understand where's this coming from?
Speaker A:Where's this guilty feeling coming from?
Speaker A:And it's pretty much what we were taught.
Speaker A:I'm from the Midwest, and we have this Midwest work ethic, which I think is malarkey because I've seen a lot of lazy people in the Midwest.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:But one of the things with a Midwest work ethic is that you do put work in front of everything and you do work hard, you work hurt, and you know everything.
Speaker A:The job comes first, no matter what.
Speaker A:And I catch myself at times trying not to instill that in my kids and trying to show them that no family comes over work.
Speaker A:But more importantly, you come first.
Speaker A:And we're told that's selfish.
Speaker A:And with our career, with our family, our stability, our service, everyone's saying that's selfish and selfish.
Speaker A:But you have something inside of you that wants to come out.
Speaker A:You have that artistic flame in you that wants to be shown to the world.
Speaker A:And nobody else is going to show it for you.
Speaker A:Your family, your job, the community contacts that you have, they're not going to show it to the rest of the world.
Speaker A:That's on you to show it to the rest of the world.
Speaker A:So you're not being selfish.
Speaker A:And if that's stopping you from doing your art, stop that thought process.
Speaker A:And it's hard.
Speaker A:It permutates into every cell of your body, but that's where it's coming from.
Speaker A:We're taught it and we embrace it and we think that's the only way to get ahead in this world.
Speaker A:When you're dead, you're not going to think, hey, I wish I would have spent more time at work.
Speaker A:You may think, I wish I would have spent more time with my family.
Speaker A:You're definitely going to go, I wish I would have spent some time on that project that I was working on, that novel.
Speaker A:I didn't write that song, I didn't write that sculpture I didn't make.
Speaker A:You're going to regret that.
Speaker A:So let's keep everything in focus here.
Speaker A:Deal with the guilt however you got to.
Speaker A:But that regret, that's the thing that really eats away at us.
Speaker A:It's a two edged sword.
Speaker A:There we have the.
Speaker A:The guilt of, I'm taking time away from all this other stuff.
Speaker A:Now we're integrating time.
Speaker A:So yeah, some stuff is going to get a little bit less time, and that's okay because you're showing up with your true self, with who you are.
Speaker A:We can invest in things that further our career and further our families, and that's okay.
Speaker A:But we can invest in something that is going to improve us so that way we can show up for work, for our family, for our community.
Speaker A:Sounds a little messed up to me.
Speaker A:Anyhow, we've got to look at it.
Speaker A:If you're taking a class for work or if you're listening to a podcast about how to raise your kids, you're investing and nobody is going to poo you for that.
Speaker A:They're going to say, hey, yeah, you're really taking care of things.
Speaker A:First things first.
Speaker A:Take care of you first.
Speaker A:So if you're going to feel guilty about it, fine, feel guilty about it, but do it anyways.
Speaker A:We need your arms.
Speaker A:So let's step back a little bit and look at our culture in, in totality.
Speaker A:Here we have what's called a productivity culture.
Speaker A:And what that is that work harder, work faster, work smarter, work longer and that'll provide you with the self worth, that should be enough for you.
Speaker A:And we're conditioned to think, hey, if I'm not, if I don't have a lot of output, I'm not really doing anything.
Speaker A:If it doesn't provide you income, why do it?
Speaker A:Or if it doesn't solve a problem or help somebody else immediately.
Speaker A:These things can feel self indulgent.
Speaker A:You got to take care of you first.
Speaker A:You got to have your needs met first.
Speaker A:It's being on the airplane.
Speaker A:And they say if the masks come down, do your mask first and then help out other people.
Speaker A:Same thing here.
Speaker A:The masks are down.
Speaker A:Your art needs to come out.
Speaker A:We need to see it, we need it in this world, so do it.
Speaker A:I'm stealing that from Nike.
Speaker A:Just do it.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:But we need to realize that all this other stuff that we're doing for the job, for the family, for the community, is all good.
Speaker A:And I'm not saying don't do it, but that self worth that's vital to all of us.
Speaker A:We all want to feel like we're productive, that we're doing something, that we have value.
Speaker A:By doing your art, by practicing it and getting better at it and studying it, you're doing something internally for you, to make you a better person.
Speaker A:So that way you can do all this other stuff.
Speaker A:But it starts with you.
Speaker A:To hell with what the culture says.
Speaker A:The culture is not making your art.
Speaker A:The culture is not paying your bills.
Speaker A:The culture is not raising your kids.
Speaker A:You are.
Speaker A:So we need you to be emotionally, physically, mentally and 100% so that way you can articulate the art that you're trying to create.
Speaker A:So we pulled back and stepped out and looked at the culture and saw how it's influencing us and how we have productivity culture.
Speaker A:Let's come back to ourselves here.
Speaker A:It's a personal space.
Speaker A:Our creativity is our personal space.
Speaker A:And for many adults, art becomes the only space that belongs to them, solely to them.
Speaker A:It doesn't belong to work or family.
Speaker A:Or any other obligation.
Speaker A:It's just an exploration for ourselves, for our souls.
Speaker A:I don't mean to get woo here on you, but it's good for your soul.
Speaker A:And when it's good for your soul, good for your mental health, for your physical health, for your emotional health, then the other stuff will come into play.
Speaker A:You'll be able to show up better for these other things.
Speaker A:A lot of this is just exploration.
Speaker A:I do a lot of paintings and I don't expect to get a penny from them, but I do them because it's something I enjoy doing.
Speaker A:It's a way that I can express myself.
Speaker A:I enjoy writing.
Speaker A:I enjoy commenting on the world around me and holding it up to people and going, are you seeing this too?
Speaker A:Maybe it's just me, and that's fine if it is, but are you seeing it this way too?
Speaker A:It's an exploration.
Speaker A:And when we clave that space, that creativity in our personal space, it can feel really uncomfortable because we're not making money at it.
Speaker A:We're not getting fame and fortune from it.
Speaker A:We're not being recognized for it.
Speaker A:But that's all external.
Speaker A:What's it doing for you internally?
Speaker A:And the things that it can do for you internally are amazing things.
Speaker A:Okay, we're going to hop back onto that guilt train or that emotional thing that we were talking about earlier about guilt and feeling selfish because you know you're doing something for you that comes from a fear of taking time from others.
Speaker A:And, yeah, you're going to be taking some time from other aspects in your life to focus on you.
Speaker A:It's like going to the gym, which I need to do today.
Speaker A:I need to do that every day, actually.
Speaker A:But it.
Speaker A:It helps you feel better about yourself.
Speaker A:It's improving who you are as a person.
Speaker A:So that way you can be better for all these other areas in your life.
Speaker A:And that's the way you really should think about it.
Speaker A:You're helping yourself be better for all of that other stuff.
Speaker A:You're taking care of your needs, and then you'll be able to take care of other people's needs.
Speaker A:Creative fulfillment makes us feel more present, more thoughtful, more energized for all these other aspects in our life.
Speaker A:And isn't that something that you want?
Speaker A:I think it is.
Speaker A:Otherwise you wouldn't be listening to me.
Speaker A:So don't worry about taking time from others.
Speaker A:You're taking a little time here, a little time there.
Speaker A:15 minutes, 20 minutes, half hour.
Speaker A:They'll live.
Speaker A:Trust me, they'll live.
Speaker A:Integrate your art into your life and then that way, you won't be taking time from anybody else.
Speaker A:You're just adding something in there as if you were taking your class or if you're taking a physical fitness class or something along those lines.
Speaker A:Our art is like that.
Speaker A:It's helping us out, and we're just adding it into our lives.
Speaker A:And nobody is going to fault you for taking a class to help you with your career or taking a Zumba class or a hot yoga class to help you with your physical health.
Speaker A:Nobody's going to yell at you for going and seeing a therapist, which I do once a month.
Speaker A:Take care of your mental health.
Speaker A:This takes care of our internal health.
Speaker A:We're taking care of that spark that's inside of us that wants to create art.
Speaker A:Okay, so we're on the last section.
Speaker A:You have chosen to listen to this podcast all the way up until this point, so thank you for doing that.
Speaker A:The world hasn't fallen apart yet.
Speaker A:I'm pretty sure you're choosing yourself, which is a great thing.
Speaker A:You're not abandoning others.
Speaker A:Making your art is not selfish.
Speaker A:It is helping you internally with that creative spark that you have.
Speaker A:If you didn't have that creative spark, you probably wouldn't be listening to this podcast because, oh, my God.
Speaker A:The podcast is called Create Art Podcast.
Speaker A:This is an act of self respect.
Speaker A:You're respecting yourself.
Speaker A:You are strengthening your inner core, whether that be emotional, spiritual, mental, what have you.
Speaker A:You're making yourself better.
Speaker A:So that way you can be better for all these other aspects in your life.
Speaker A:But art is something that you make.
Speaker A:It's something that you own.
Speaker A:It's something uniquely you.
Speaker A:And that's why we need your voice.
Speaker A:When you respect your own creative life, you model something powerful for the people around you.
Speaker A:And that personal growth doesn't stop just because adulthood started.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:We're still learning.
Speaker A:My kids are like, I can't wait to be out of school.
Speaker A:That way I don't have to learn anything.
Speaker A:And I'm learning everything.
Speaker A:I'm learning things each and every day, and I hope you are, too.
Speaker A:And I hope this episode is teaching you something as well.
Speaker A:You're not selfish.
Speaker A:You're not abandoning anybody.
Speaker A:You're taking care of you.
Speaker A:And that's what we need you to do.
Speaker A:And we, as in the royal we, the mouse in my pocket and me.
Speaker A:Take care of yourself.
Speaker A:All right?
Speaker A:I hope you feel good about this episode.
Speaker A:I know I feel really good about it.
Speaker A:Even though my voice.
Speaker A:There it goes.
Speaker A:I hope you've learned something and gotten something out of this episode.
Speaker A:Nothing Else you're not being selfish.
Speaker A:Do this for yourself.
Speaker A:That way you can be better in the other areas in your life.
Speaker A:If you found this useful or you have a friend that's an artist or wants to be an artist, or just anything along those lines, feel free to share it with them.
Speaker A:If they're like, man, I'd love to create art, I'd love to make a painting, but I just don't have the time and I can't fit it into my schedule.
Speaker A:They need to hear this episode because there's probably some guilt going on in the background there.
Speaker A:If you're saying it, there's definitely guilt going around in the background going on in the background there.
Speaker A:So don't be, don't feel guilty about it.
Speaker A:You're not being selfish.
Speaker A:We need your art.
Speaker A:The world needs your art.
Speaker A:Now again, share this with a friend on your podcast app.
Speaker A:Share it that way.
Speaker A:Or if you're watching on YouTube, you can share it that way.
Speaker A:If you have any ideas for the show, critiques of the show, what you'd like to see, what you'd like to see less of, if you want to be on the show, you can email me timothyreateartpodcast.com and sharing the show is really easy, really easy to do.
Speaker A:I do another show.
Speaker A:It's called Find a Podcast about.
Speaker A:You can find it at findapodcast about xyz.
Speaker A:And that's where I help my listeners over there find their next binge worthy podcast and outsmart the algorithm.
Speaker A:You might just find your next favorite podcast from that show.
Speaker A: And in: Speaker A:It's called TKB Podcast Studio.
Speaker A:You can find it at tkbpodcaststudio.com There you can see my portfolio of other shows that I'm working on and helping my clients lead through all the noise that's out there with quiet professionalism.
Speaker A:I'd love to help you with your podcast ideas, if you have any.
Speaker A:Get in contact with me over there.
Speaker A:All right, that's all I got for you today.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for being part of this show.
Speaker A:Now go out there, tame your inner critic.
Speaker A:Create more than you consume.
Speaker A:You're not selfish, so don't feel guilty about it.
Speaker A:Rather go out there and make some art for somebody you love yourself.
Speaker A:I'll talk to you next time.
