When Work Feels Endless
- JP de la Rama
- Sep 8
- 3 min read
Why Fun with Friends Might Just Save You
"The grind doesn’t kill creativity — forgetting the joy behind it does."
Introduction
The “Ber” months are here — and for Filipinos, that usually means Christmas carols in malls, colder nights, and a rush toward the year’s end.
For me, it means one more thing: the studio is fully booked until the end of the year.
At first glance, that’s a victory worth celebrating.
It’s everything I’ve been building towards over the past few years.
Proof that we survived the constant storms of AI disruption, client ghosting, and an unstable creative industry.
But here’s the catch: it’s also exhausting.
Animating sprites for a video game full-time, micro-managing studio projects, all while trying to be present as a father and husband — sometimes the weight feels too heavy.
And honestly? All I want is just one whole day of sleep.
The Problem
In this age of AI-generated art flooding timelines and drowning out real human craft, it’s easy to forget: behind every creative work, real people are burning themselves out.
As artists, we often carry the double burden:
The pressure to deliver consistently while battling deadlines.
The guilt of stepping away, even for a break, because rest feels like wasted time.
The fear of being replaced, because the world now celebrates speed and imitation over heart and originality.
And yet… even the hardest-working creatives have limits.
I realized that the grind itself isn’t the enemy — the real enemy is forgetting why we create in the first place.
What Saved Me
Ironically, what’s been saving me lately isn’t a productivity hack or a fancy new tool.
It’s video games.
After long nights of animating, I found myself diving into Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Before that, it was Metroid Dread.
And now? Like the rest of the world, I’ve been waiting 7 years for Silksong.
When fans asked the devs why it took so long, their answer was simple:
“We just wanted to have fun making the game with our friends.”
That hit me hard.
Because maybe that’s what art — and life — is really about.
Not just chasing deadlines or escaping AI replacement.
Not just building a portfolio or making clients happy.
But having fun with people you care about. Creating with joy. Living without regrets.
So here’s my reminder to you, as much as it is to myself:
Take breaks.
Spend time with your friends.
Play. Laugh. Live.
Because sometimes, that’s what saves you from burning out completely.
Practical Tip as an Artist:
Build playtime into your schedule the same way you do deadlines. Even 30 minutes a day can reset your brain.
Protect your creative joy — remind yourself that it’s okay to step away from the grind.
Surround yourself with peers who remind you why you started creating in the first place.
Final Note
The world will always push us toward endless output.
But at the end of the day, art thrives not from exhaustion, but from joy.
So if you need a sign to take a break and just have fun with your friends, this is it.
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