You can’t rush creativity

Learning to trust the pauses in the process

If this year has taught me anything, it’s that creativity needs space to breathe.

It’s nearly impossible to put something thoughtful on the page when your mind is cluttered with shoulds, coulds and woulds.

This time next week, I’ll be on my way to Las Vegas for a work conference. If you’ve ever managed an event sponsorship, you’ll understand the particular cocktail of chaos I’m living in right now: equal parts logistics, caffeine, and the looming feeling you’ve forgotten something important. None of which makes for an enjoyable Substack read.

When I drain my mental energy, I shut down. It’s a delightful ADHD phenomenon where the brain refuses to do even the simplest thing, like open a blank document or remember why you walked into the kitchen. From the outside, it looks like procrastination. From the inside, it feels like sinking in slow motion.

That’s where I found myself this morning, staring at my screen and willing words to appear. Nothing came. The harder I pushed, the further away they felt. Eventually, I called my sister and told her I was stuck. She kindly reminded me that there’s no word count requirement for this newsletter.

So this week, I’m giving myself a free pass.

No insights. No neatly tied bow. Just permission to rest.

Next week, I’ll be back with my 52nd newsletter (!!) and a bottle of champagne to celebrate one full year of showing up on Substack.

Until then, consider this your reminder to let yourself off the hook.

Thank you for reading. It truly means the world to me! 💌