On Wednesdays, I share articles related to various aspects of the creative health landscape and at the end of those articles, I share links to other articles you might like.
Why? Because other people’s words can provide a different perspective on a similar topic or a similar perspective in a different way.
And because I like to do what I can to share the work of others to help move it through the world towards the people who are meant to come across it. Especially when it’s an older piece from someone that I can perhaps bring new eyes to.
Here are the links I shared in February’s articles with a quote from each one … do go read the ones that inspire you!
On the title of artist or writer …
In relation to my piece:
Quotes I loved from others:
From Jess Barker: “By all means, create and explore in private to your heart’s content! I do it all the time. Just consider that it might feel a lot more natural to say what activity you’re doing (“I’m writing fiction” or “I’m painting with watercolors”) instead of labeling your role in the world (“I am a writer” or “I am a watercolorist”). The latter phrases can feel out of place when your work isn’t out there for other people to consume. And, despite what social media (or Seth Godin) would have us think, not every outcome of your creative practice needs to be “shipped” or shared.”
From Caroline Donahue (via Amanda Saint): “Having taught hundreds of students and worked with clients for over ten years, the most common fear I see is that people are terrified of “doing it wrong.” And if they do it wrong, they will then be exposed as imposters and never be allowed to write again. With this terror lurking in their minds, it’s safer to dream of one day being anointed as writers rather than getting into the messy work of writing here and now.”
From Michele Banks: “Student to artist is not a clear-cut progression like medical student to doctor. In many ways, calling yourself an artist is a statement of identity, of self-belief. Some people who make art strictly as a hobby confidently refer to themselves as artists, while others who show and sell their work do not.”
From Jeanine Joyner: “Would you say an accomplished pianist or violinist is not a musician if they are not playing in an orchestra or recording albums? No. Their skill has been honed by many years of practice. Their music may only be heard by close friends and family who happen to be within earshot when they play. But the fact that they can make an instrument sing means they are, in fact, a musician. Friend, the fact that you can string words together in ways that tell beautiful stories and make sense of the experiences you have lived makes you a writer.”
From Liz Gumbinner: “We all get to feel creative whenever we want, and there’s no Gatekeeper of Creativity out there to tell us otherwise. That’s why I think acknowledging that we feel creative at times is such a beautiful place to start. And that’s not necessarily easy. But it’s a solid first step on a path toward creating things that are beautiful or meaningful, making things that matter if only to us. Eventually, we will take more steps, go further down that creative path, and come to believe we are artists… or not.”
From Jillian Abby: “What I find even more curious is that nobody… I repeat NOBODY… ever told me that I wasn’t a writer. Not a single reader, not Good Morning America when they picked my book, not a rando on TikTok, not even a disgruntled family member. I have had approximately zero, give or take zero, experiences of being told that I wasn’t really a writer. I imagine the same is true for many others. So what is it that fuels these stories?”
From Carolyn Yoo: “It is all too easy for a beginner artist to compare themselves to an artist who’s been practicing for 20+ years and think they don’t deserve to be an artist. But you are still an artist when you are a beginner, just as a junior designer is still a designer and an associate attorney is still a lawyer.”
From Toni Sakoman: “It’s not wrong to call yourself a writer, but it is intimidating. The world wants us to be afraid at all times. Fear makes us obey. The invention of titles was born not because of the discipline of recognition, but fear. Everything needs its nametag so everyone is immediately approachable and controllable.”
On creating when life limits the time you have …
In relate to my piece:
Quotes I loved from others:
From Ekaterina Popova: “I’ve noticed that making art slows things down in the best way. The irony is, of course, that we often push this nourishing and grounding activity aside. We tell ourselves it’s not urgent. We put it off for chores, emails, scrolling, or simply because it feels easier to avoid showing up than to face perfectionism. But when I sit down at my easel, or open my sketchbook, even just for a few minutes, something opens up. I breathe deeper. I feel calmer. That tight, anxious knot in my chest loosens. I come back to myself. The day shifts. I feel more connected to purpose, and more in control—not in a rigid, productivity-hack way, but in a grounded, gentle way.”
From Natalie Eslick: “In scarcity, some of the things that are really important get put aside as seeming frivolous or misaligned with the seriousness of our times. But what if they, what if creativity, is actually the most gentle, compassionate and conscious way forward, for us all?”
From Kat Lewis: “As someone with ADHD, I have a hard time building habits and I break them easily, pretty much with any change in routine. Moreover, I don’t want to think of writing as a habit, but more of a passion. To sustain a writing life means you have to keep it joyful, while also working it in around all the other aspects of life. We don’t have to show up for a muse that powers our creativity. Simply navigating through our lives offers more than enough material for those who process what it all means through writing. I’ll also note, some of my better work—whether in revisions or new drafts—came out of changes in routine, work done while traveling and being in new places.”
From Alena Falkengren: “Before, I might have needed the perfect environment—quiet house, cup of coffee, clean desk, a lit candle. I am a creature of habit and ritual, after all. Now, I’ll write notes on my phone while nursing, or brainstorm article ideas with one hand while the baby sleeps on the other, or upgrade databases while singing a lullaby. Work (creative or not) doesn’t need to be polished right away—it just needs to exist.”
From Kayla s: “Becoming a mother changes every part of your life: your body, time, sleep, relationships, and even your worldview. And that’s not to say it’s a bad thing! It’s just different.”
From Elissa Strauss: “(Ruth Asawa") was known for incorporating motherhood and care into her whole process, from the way she related to other artists, to her involving children in the creation of public art. But what was most compelling to me was the presence of care—as an idea and a practice—in her abstract sculptures.”
On an abundance of creative ideas …
In relation to my piece:
Quotes I loved from others:
From Sunshine: “Feeling overwhelmed by a flood of creative ideas can be both exhilarating and paralyzing. It's like standing at the edge of a vast, uncharted landscape, brimming with possibilities but unsure which path to take first. The key to navigating this vibrant mental terrain is to embrace the chaos and turn it into a playground for your imagination.”
From Stephen Parato: “There’s one more thing that can add to chaos and overwhelm with ideas: consuming too much information. If you over-consume information, you overwhelm yourself. It becomes hard to know which ideas are your own, which ideas are important, and how to prioritize ideas.”
From Shira Gill: “I know small actions can feel insignificant when it feels like the world is on fire, but they're actually how we build resilience and maintain hope when everything else feels chaotic. These small actions compound. They build momentum. They prove to your overwhelmed brain that you are capable of making things even a little better, one small step at a time.”
From Candice Wiswell, PhD: “When you have ADHD, inspiration can feel like a surge of electricity — thrilling but chaotic. Your brain floods with dopamine (finally!), but it’s not always channeled into focused action. Instead, it can tip you into idea overwhelm: too many possibilities, too much internal pressure, not enough structure to catch the energy before it dissipates.”
From Zack Evans and Create.Repeat: “When you finish one thing, even if it’s small, it shifts something inside you. You start trusting yourself again. You prove to your brain that you can follow through. That’s your creative snowball. And once it starts rolling, that big project, the one that used to scare you, starts looking less like a mountain and more like the next logical step.”
On the fear that your best creative work is behind you …
In relation to my piece:
Quotes I loved from others:
From Jamie Feldman @TheCreativeGood: “There is significance to creating in the moment. Perhaps this is why so many great works or art, be it a first draft of a love story or a musical heartbreak anthem, were likely created in the moment. There is a record of the feeling in that sort of immediate creation, and also an accuracy of that feeling. How many times do we feel passion, embarrassment, shame, head over heels in love, only to look back and think it really wasn’t worth so much drama? But maybe it was. After all, those highs and lows are part of our collective human experience, and what is art if not a reflection of the human condition?”
From Michael Flarup: “We’re always being nudged to look forward. New goals. New projects. A constant pressure to stay ahead and chase the next idea. But retrospectives pull in the other direction. They ask you to slow down and look back—to acknowledge the work already done, the energy already spent. That kind of reflection isn’t just healthy, it’s grounding. It reminds you that progress doesn’t always look like acceleration. Sometimes it looks like depth, or consistency, or simply showing up again and again.”
From Carrie: “Even when you are working on something yourself, it can be a huge morale booster to give peeks of your process to friends or colleagues you trust. This can help build confidence, hold you accountable, and even give you constructive criticism when needed. I think this is especially relevant for easing back into creativity after a fallow period because it can feel really isolating. Having someone, anyone, who knows what you’re attempting and encourages you is a blessing.”
From Annie Murphy Paul: “Like Marcel Proust and his memory-evoking madeleine, you may find that remembering the past is a doorway into a richly imagined act of creation in the present.”
From Rebecca Low: “If you’ve not read it, one of the central premises of Big Magic is that inspiration is separate from you as a creative person. You might have a great idea but if you don’t do anything with it, it’ll leave you to look for someone who will. Now, depending on how woo-woo I’m feeling on any particular day, my belief in that theory waxes and wanes, but there is something to be said for the regret you feel when you don’t act on certain creative impulses.”
From last month:
What a great roundup - lots of pieces in here I'm looking forward to reading. 🤩 And thank you for including my words among them!
Thank you for these wonderful quotes Kathryn. They really helped me today...blessings of kindness and abundance to you.