Letting it be easy

The world very quickly takes creativity away from us as young people. It’s okay for children to color, draw, and paint. All children do this until they reach a certain age and then it’s considered a waste of time if you aren’t “any good” - The tidal wave of shoulds and shouldn’ts descends and we are told either explicitly or otherwise that it’s time to grow up. It’s time to take life more seriously. My question is: how has taking life more seriously gone? Has that actually worked? And why is it that things that are difficult are considered more important than things that come easy? Or things that feel like play? 

I’m asking these questions of myself lately because I’ve noticed that in my art if a painting is “easy” (for me to make) I value it as less. I almost discredit it. I know this is being applied to other areas of my life: Unless there is struggle, it doesn’t count.

I want to be done with this belief. It will probably take a lifetime to undo, but it feels like the most worthwhile thing at the moment.