A short YouTube monologue by George Kao arguing that consistent creative practice is a form of self-care. He advises showing up for purposeful work even during illness or emotional hardship, offering adjustments (e.g., reducing session length) and sharing a client anecdote about chronic illness to illustrate that waiting until one "feels good" can mean never creating.
When you're under the weather or going through an emotionally difficult time, is it wise to continue creating? I advise people to still show up consistently. And when I share this advice, the response that I sometimes get back is, take a break. Capitalism will still be here when you get back. And I get that. But for me, this is not about capitalism. It's about my own integrity. It's about the commitment I've made to myself and my purposeful work. Let me tell you a quick story. I have a client who lives with chronic illness. She is in pain almost every day and she once told me that if she only created when she felt good, she would never create anything at all. This isn't about grinding or hustling or proving anything to the world. It's about showing up for the work that matters to you in whatever capacity you gently can. And maybe that means you need to postpone a two hour teaching class, but maybe you can write for 15 minutes. You adjust, you soften, but you don't stop. Because showing up for your purposeful work reminds you that you are capable. And that feeling of capability and light working, it might just be the best medicine that you can take.
