Creative Guilt

So there's a opening of time on the weekend.  Suddenly I have a few hours free to do whatever I want to.  That's wonderful!  What should I do?  I could actually go be productive around the house a bit.  Sure.  I'll do that for a bit.  What else?   I could go work on creating my game some more.  Yes, I should definitely do that.  People will love it when it's done.  I need to work on it so I can show it to them!

Maybe I do get around to working on it, maybe I don't.  Either way, the free time is usually well spent.  Sometimes you just need to zone out for awhile. 

Here's where I get into trouble though:  I end up feeling guilty for not working on my game.  In my head I feel like I have let these people down somehow.  That they are out there waiting anxiously for my next creative offering, and I just selfishly spent this time on myself instead.

What a delusion!  Unless you are one of the rare few who really DO have a teeming fanbase, then it's really just your friends and family who are going to humor you by checking it out.  And even then, let's be honest:  it will just be put on their lists to get to eventually.  There's plenty of other things going on in their lives right now to keep them busy until you are done.

So often we put this false guilt on ourselves that we have to do these things for others that, while they may be nice, are in no way necessary, and certainly don't have to be done in a hurry.  In fact, if they knew you were stressing out about it they would say forget the whole thing, it's not worth it!

This creative work, this hobby, this interest, whatever it is, you have to just do it for yourself.  Relax!  Have fun with it again.  If you get stuck or need a break, take a long break.  There is zero reason to feel guilty.  If you are passionate about it, you will come back and finish it.  And it will be great, whenever it gets done, because you have gained so much from it.  If other people like it too, that's just a bonus.