There’s something magical about the moment when you are completely absorbed in what you’re creating. You forget the time, you even forget yourself a little, and it feels like you’re being carried along by an invisible current. Some call it flow. I just call it play.

And play is precisely what we, as adults, have largely forgotten. Somewhere along the way—probably when you signed your first mortgage and decided life really had to get serious—you started believing that creativity only matters if there’s a business model behind it. Or if it earns applause. Or if nobody makes stupid comments about it. But creativity doesn’t have to be useful at all. It’s about doing.

Yet we often let ourselves be held back by the opinions of others. That one colleague who thinks you should be doing “something useful.” A parent asking if you’ll ever make a living from it. Or that grump at a party who says, “Well, nobody’s waiting for that, are they?” You have two choices: listen and trap yourself, or shrug, pour another glass of wine, and just keep going.

But we are also perfectly capable of strangling our own creativity. An oversized ego can block you just as much as an undersized one. Those who think they’re brilliant set the bar so high that nothing can pass through. Those who think they’re worthless don’t even dare to start. True freedom in creating requires a solid self-awareness. That’s exactly where the space is: knowing who you are, what you feel, and still choosing to play.

The good news: no one else needs to be happy with what you make. If painting with coffee stains, writing a play that will never be performed, or designing a vegetable garden that gives more joy to the snails than to you makes you happy, then it’s valuable. Not because it makes money. Not because someone else approves. But because it brings you joy.

Creativity isn’t a luxury. It’s oxygen for your soul. The moment you allow yourself to play, the magic begins.

So the next time you have an idea that makes your heart beat faster, try not to immediately think about profit, likes, or approval. Just try. Create, play, and choose yourself.