48 Comments

exactly this.

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I loved this piece. It’s hard to trust what we are doing is right. I guess doing it for ourselves first and foremost is what I have taken from this. If others come along it’s even nicer but not vital. ☺️

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Absolutely! If you share from a place of passion and honesty others tend to follow suit 🤗🎉

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Thanks Elin for the shout out. I find during this funny in between time I have more time to read & do the things I otherwise put off with the never ending to do list & the day job. I must admit I’ve been putting off a post, I have it kind of drafted on my phone, but just need to stop procrastinating & write the dam thing. Maybe hot chocolate will help. 🤔

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Haha hot chocolate always helps ❣️ I’m with you - I have more time these few days than usual, let’s embrace it ✨ Thanks for having a read 🥰

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So very glad you ended up posting this! Glad my interaction helped.

Write your heart out 🤍 I truly believe what you said about not being able to schedule creativity. I was really hoping to find some motivation and inspiration this week, but so far, no joy. I have a few days off work still, which I’m very grateful for, so I’m patiently waiting for creativity to strike.

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A helpful thing for me has always been to get busy in those situations and then you’ll find yourself inspired sooner ❤️❤️

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That’s a good idea! I’ll give it a go, thank you! ❤️

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Isn’t it typical? When you finally have some free time available there’s just silence and vice versa... through the years I’ve often found myself being the most creative when I have absolutely no time... like a creative procrastinator 😅

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Haa yes! I usually get my best ideas when I’m super busy. But I guess we just learn to work with how our own creativity works.

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Glad I could help get out of that rut with a simple comment ☺️

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Hope you had a nice trip to Michigan 🤗

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Jan 3Liked by Elin Petronella

thanks for this post, I just started substack. I overthink everything. I think, I was everything is perfect but I just need to share what I want and people will choose to read or know

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author

Just do it 🙌🤗

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Jan 2Liked by Elin Petronella

I've recently learned; don't let the expectations and opinions of other people affect your decisions. It's your life, not theirs. Do what matters most to you; do what makes you feel alive and happy. Don't let the expectations and ideas of others limit who you are. If you let others tell you who you are, you are living their reality — not yours. There is more to life than pleasing people. There is much more to life than following others' prescribed path. There is so much more to life than what you experience right now. You need to decide who you are for yourself. Become a whole being.

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author

Your so right on all of this 💯👏

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Thank you for sharing this! I've still been writing/posting (especially on Medium) during the holiday season and felt the similar hesitation about what others might make of that. Glad to know I'm not alone! And very much appreciate the reminder to not worry about others' opinions -- it's a major roadblock to creative flow!

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author

Cheers on you! It’s a tricky dance to balance hey, but ultimately others opinions are their responsibility- not yours ❤️

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I was thinking the same can I post, can I not. Should I just engage in notes and not bother everyone. Should I draft...

I have a little bit of time and a million drafts so let’s see if anything wants to get finished and sent out

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author

We’re in the same boat of million drafts... then comes the task of choosing which one to finish 🫣 hope you have better decision making skills than me on that front haha, I always end up starting a new one 🙈

On the “bothering others” part I think we sometimes take ourselves too seriously... if others feel bothered it means they opened their email in the first place, if they don’t want to get bothered they just don’t open the email or app... it’s not your responsibility 🙏🏼 you’re just the writer ❤️

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My decision making skills depend on my emotional capacity somethings they’re amazing and I’m amazed by myself and other times....ohhh I can’t make a decision and I need to dig deeper to understand the resilience, if I can get to it...🕵️‍♀️

Oh yes, you’re right and unsubscribers are part of the journey

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Oh I second the indecision inconsistency! For me it’s directly correlated with how much sleep my kids allow me to get... 😅😅

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Dec 30, 2023Liked by Elin Petronella

Needed this. Nothings more exhilarating when you click that publish button - it’s the closest I’ll probably ever get to skydiving or bungee jumping.

The more I write, and the more I share I realize I lean more into the person I want to be. I’m committed to keep showing up despite my self criticism. Even if that means posting on Christmas, NYE and Easter 😂

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author

Love this Marc! You’re doing a terrific job so far - love your publication too 🙌

It’s crazy how exhilarating creative pursuits can be... as you say, like skydiving 🪂

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Ah, thanks for the shout out, Elin! Very good to hear you’re enjoying your writing adventures and making lots of new friends among Substack writers and readers.

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Thanks Ann for your support 🥰

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Really enjoyed this and always love the reminder that we get to make our own rules based on our own circumstances. Creativity has no timeline and bursts through when it wants... and I just say go for it! Xx

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Thanks Lauren! Let’s set our own rules ✨🤩👏🎉

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Very much enjoyed reading this Elin.

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Thank you so much Emily! What’s your experience with creative self doubt ?

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I have found the doubt slip away more recently. And maybe that’s because I’ve enjoyed a measure of ‘success’ this year here in Substack, but maybe not. Maybe it’ll be back, but for now, I’m just doing what I love, and what I choose and not really worrying much anymore about what others think.

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Rooting for you! ✨ I think everything comes in cycles so the best is to “smida medan järnet är varmt” as we say in Swedish (let’s enjoy it!) ❤️👏

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Love this Elin! Hits home, that question of how much of our fear of other people is really just ourselves self-sabotaging.

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💯💯 I think about this constantly in various contexts! Somehow having children brings up all these thoughts to another level where I don’t want to push these unwritten expectations down their throats without even being aware of it 🤯

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Omg I completely agree! It’s like we feel an added need to unpack our own BS and unhealthy patterns now, because we don’t want to pass them onto our kids

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author

Yep , parenting summed up in one sentence 👏😅❤️

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Love that and love that you published! Thank you for the mention. ❤️

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Thank YOU Stephanie ❣️

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Dec 26, 2023Liked by Elin Petronella

Well then, you are most welcome!! I enjoy being a part of this new process where we are vulnerable and wondering what everyone might think - but we show up anyways! When you feel that creativity wave, might as well ride it in....

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Yes!🙌 I love how Substack allows for smooth collaboration simply by its features of tagging and notes. It makes it easy to connect and discuss these questions together 👏 thanks for reading Kristen ✨

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