What if, sweet girl, YOU have found the gold?? Being in every moment, not getting caught up in the comparison game, learning to love and appreciate a slower way of Being. I, too, see people commenting about how they had 100 readers overnight and that is great for them. But then you feel a pressure to put out more, so that all your readers have something to read often. What then? You burn out because you've been on this crazy wheel. I personally think you have made the wiser choice: PLEASURE over pressure. Relish it, girlfriend!! Fall in love again with what you do and when you do it. I'm still cheering you on! XO
Pleasure over pressure! Yes! Thank you so much Danielle, for your kind words. I will relish it. I have teetered on the edge of burnout and I don’t want to go there again. 💛💛
Perhaps you have less ❤️'s lately and less new readers, Emily, but I want you to know that as a new subscriber to While I Was Drawing, I get excited to read your articles as soon as I see them! When I opened Substack just now, I have 2 notifications which I would normally go right to opening, but I saw that you had a new article and I jumped to that first! Thank you for sharing your human-ness in this piece and please know that you have inspired me and continue to do so. One of your adorable free wallpapers is currently on my ipad so that every time I open my ipad, I see her and the fireflies around her. She reminds me to simply sit and be with whatever is happening in my little world knowing that I am part of something so much bigger than me; something so much bigger than any stats here on Substack. She also reminds me to keep sketching and drawing in my own unique way and time and that I'm not competing with anyone. I'm just creating for the sake of creating and that is enough. 🌈🪷 A deep bow and a lotus for you, beautiful soul ✨ (by the way, my Grandmother's name was Emily and my niece was named after her. Everything about your publication brings me joy 🌞).
Oh Deanna, thank you so much. What beautiful words. I’m overwhelmed. And so glad that Esmerelda keeps you company with her fireflies. I have a wonderful image of you in my mind, sketching and drawing in your own way and time. You have bought me so much joy with your words. Thank you 💛
I love your heart felt piece here Emily. Thank you for sharing something we all can resonate with. We live in a time which often places high value on the outer MORE MORE MORE, the likes, the numbers, the badges of honour. I personally think that we have "fallen behind" in what truely is important. Taking time to witness a snail, the JOY of the creative process, the unexpected WONDERous unfolding of our lives. This is where our home is. This is where true peace and satisfaction lies. Those dopamine hits of likes are like candy. Not nourishing in the long term, always wanting more. Easy for me to say as I haven't marketed my work and have a lovely small audience!
Keep being and doing YOU. Your audience is one full of love and appreciation and there are many more out there yet to discover you. My quote from my last post comes to mind again -
“Let not the fruit of action be your motive to action. Your Business is with action alone, not with the fruit of action.”- The Bhagavad Gita
Oh my goodness Jo, you are so full of wisdom. I loved that quote from your post, and how true that we have fallen behind in what is truly important. The dopamine hits are so like candy!! (I always want more of that 😂) thank you for your kind, wise words 💛💛
❤️❤️❤️ Love this. And I also believe that in many cases, slow is more sustainable and long-lived anyway. Redwoods vs bamboo. But I bet the baby redwoods have some feels about bamboo shoots growing in a day the amount it took them a decade.
This was both not an easy read (I relate so much it felt you were talking about me!) and a relief, as it made me realise it's ok to have these ugly jealousy feelings if you see them for what they are and then kindly send them on their way so you can continue doing your thing.
You're doing brilliantly. Just do your thing. I think Elizabeth Gilbert wrote something like that in Big Magic. Such simple words. Just do your thing.
Thank you so much Sara. If feel like Big Magic is my bible. Like every word written in it is a salve to my soul and a reminder of what creativity really is for me. I love your words - “see them for what they are and then kindly set them on their way so you can continue doing your thing”, this is beautiful wisdom worthy of Big Magic. Sending love right back. You also, are doing brilliantly, by the way 💛💛
Love this so much. Your words are truly beautiful🙏I'm a new subscriber, as of yesterday. I’m trying to change my use of social media. Instagram and fb feel completely wrong for me now and I don’t subscribe to many people on here, because I don’t want to be overwhelmed by content😊
Living slowly is what I truly need at the moment and I’m finding so much joy in it. I’m slowly reconnecting with myself and my creativity and it feels wonderful🌿
My walks are slow too, and I stop to let walkers pass me, so that I can wander in peace and solitude🐌 Thank you for sharing this. I look forward to slowing reading through your posts🙏
Thank you Solveig, it’s lovely to connect with you here. I’m so pleased you’re finding joy in slowly reconnecting with yourself and your creativity, and taking slow walks in peace and solitude 💛
Your description of the fast walkers coming up behind hit me hard! I always so happily let them pass - i never would have thought that this applies in my creative life too and its so smart!
Emily, thank you for this it is great to hear it. I follow several substacks but yours is one of the few I always read. I don’t have the finances to upgrade to paid (sorry) but I value your words, drawings and notes. I’m amazed by how much you get done and still find time to write and be creative. Thank you fir being in the space and sharing your real-ness. 😍
I heart love this Emily! I feeeeel it in my cells and my bones.
I’ve been grappling with comparisonitus and time scarcity. And I find all the hubbub about The Need To Be On Notes daily overwhelming. And what happened next? The joy dips, my creativity gets strangulated and I’m like, this isn’t why my heart was drawn to SS. Notes, for me, quickly becomes another just another social media platform to assist in procrastination, quick-fire dopamine hits and antsypantsyness.
Be-ing, not chasing, I know that is where the magic lies. But oh how quickly I forget.
Beautiful, comforting reminders and I’m wagering I’m not the only one feeling soothed by every word.
Following my own little nudges, coming back to present, posting when feeling inspired, that’s where my cup is filled to be sure. ✨💫🤸🏼♀️🪄
oh my dear Suzy. I heart love you. What I love about being here is how we've found freedom to express our hearts and found others who are right there with us, in such a genuinely honest and open way that we can draw such comfort in each other's words. I try to view notes as a way to have fun and play about, share what I like to see and not get hung up too much about it. for instance, today, I shared a picture of Steve (annoying puppy dog of mine) blowing drool bubbles... I think we do know where the magic lies don't we, but it's so easy to get swept up and forget. We need to remind each other. 💛💛
Bless you, bless you, bless yoooou, aaaall the daaaays you lovely, lovely being you. SS sure does feel like the most heart centred platform. I cherish that. Now, please excuse bc I must go in search of Steve!!!! …..
Emily, this is a wonderful post and so relatable. Your words and perspective feel so soothing and refreshing. I'll be coming back to your post again and again to remind myself of your words. I put pressure on myself time and time again to do more. But I have to keep learning the lesson that I cannot keep up with the crazy expectations I put on myself, and realising that actually releases me to do things my own way, in a way that feels good, instead of in a way that I feel like I should. X
Yes Jenna!! Doing what feels good instead of what we think we should. I’m so pleased this resonates with you, thank you for your kind comments. It’s so often only our own expectations that we should be further ahead, that we are falling behind. I hope you continue to find release to do things your way 💛🐾
I feel you Emily! I watched some recordings of the very same sessions you wrote about and caught myself doing so at 1.5 x speed on a bus ride across a Greek island before they go behind paywall . I watched 2 and decided it’s enough and that I should look out the window…
Sometimes we feel as though we’re falling behind but as you said, maybe it’s not the path we should be on in the first place. Xx
I’m glad you got to look out of the window and enjoy the scenery on your bus ride. There is so much wisdom and generosity and value in things that are shared here, but I feel that if we try to absorb it all and act on it all at the cost of enjoying the scenery, we have lost something more important along the way. Thank you so much for reading 💛
Well written and a sensation that many of us struggle with…the “competitive edge” in a capitalistic society. The space you are creating (whether here or somewhere else) runs counter to that world and setting it down is challenging.
Thank you. Yes, so true. I used to feel the ambition and competitiveness in my corporate career, wanting to push ever onward and upward. And it was exhausting. Now I just want to go slow. But sometimes that edge creeps back 💛
I totally get that feeling of wondering if we're falling behind in this crazy creative world. But you know what? Your approach, focusing on pleasure over pressure, is spot on. It's all about enjoying the journey, not just racing to the finish line.
Your writing has this magical way of making me feel like I'm not alone in all this creative chaos. Keep doing what you do best—inspiring us with your words and reminding us to slow down and savor the good stuff.
Mohika, thank you so much for your kind words. It lifts my heart to know that I am not alone and that my words help others to know they’re not alone too 💛💛
This is lovely and so very relatable. I have a very persistent part whose hobby is berating me for my glacial output. I've slowly moved away from listening and experiencing guilt to listening and thanking it for doing what it's trying to do, which is protect me from the part which berates me mercilessly for falling behind. Ultimately, whenever I speed up I notice significantly less, and as I get older that's just something that I'm less and less willing to do, thankfully. I've come to trust that the right eyes fall on the right pieces at the right time, and that the figures are largely meaningless in the face of the genuine connection that can be fostered in sharing... All love, Emily. What beautiful things you're adding to the world.
Thank you so much Chloe. I sometimes feel like I rushed through the first half of my life so fast, only in the last few years have I truly taken the time to see beauty and wonder in this world, in the quiet and the calm. But I still need to remind myself every now and then that the numbers are indeed largely meaningless, as you say. I am truly deeply moved by the beautiful responses and so happy to be here, falling further and further behind, seeing more and more. So much love for you Chloe 💛
Darling Emily,
What if, sweet girl, YOU have found the gold?? Being in every moment, not getting caught up in the comparison game, learning to love and appreciate a slower way of Being. I, too, see people commenting about how they had 100 readers overnight and that is great for them. But then you feel a pressure to put out more, so that all your readers have something to read often. What then? You burn out because you've been on this crazy wheel. I personally think you have made the wiser choice: PLEASURE over pressure. Relish it, girlfriend!! Fall in love again with what you do and when you do it. I'm still cheering you on! XO
Pleasure over pressure! Yes! Thank you so much Danielle, for your kind words. I will relish it. I have teetered on the edge of burnout and I don’t want to go there again. 💛💛
"Pleasure over pressure" is going in my notebook! Thank you, Danielle!
Yay! Of course, it is my pleasure! XO
Perhaps you have less ❤️'s lately and less new readers, Emily, but I want you to know that as a new subscriber to While I Was Drawing, I get excited to read your articles as soon as I see them! When I opened Substack just now, I have 2 notifications which I would normally go right to opening, but I saw that you had a new article and I jumped to that first! Thank you for sharing your human-ness in this piece and please know that you have inspired me and continue to do so. One of your adorable free wallpapers is currently on my ipad so that every time I open my ipad, I see her and the fireflies around her. She reminds me to simply sit and be with whatever is happening in my little world knowing that I am part of something so much bigger than me; something so much bigger than any stats here on Substack. She also reminds me to keep sketching and drawing in my own unique way and time and that I'm not competing with anyone. I'm just creating for the sake of creating and that is enough. 🌈🪷 A deep bow and a lotus for you, beautiful soul ✨ (by the way, my Grandmother's name was Emily and my niece was named after her. Everything about your publication brings me joy 🌞).
Oh Deanna, thank you so much. What beautiful words. I’m overwhelmed. And so glad that Esmerelda keeps you company with her fireflies. I have a wonderful image of you in my mind, sketching and drawing in your own way and time. You have bought me so much joy with your words. Thank you 💛
I love your heart felt piece here Emily. Thank you for sharing something we all can resonate with. We live in a time which often places high value on the outer MORE MORE MORE, the likes, the numbers, the badges of honour. I personally think that we have "fallen behind" in what truely is important. Taking time to witness a snail, the JOY of the creative process, the unexpected WONDERous unfolding of our lives. This is where our home is. This is where true peace and satisfaction lies. Those dopamine hits of likes are like candy. Not nourishing in the long term, always wanting more. Easy for me to say as I haven't marketed my work and have a lovely small audience!
Keep being and doing YOU. Your audience is one full of love and appreciation and there are many more out there yet to discover you. My quote from my last post comes to mind again -
“Let not the fruit of action be your motive to action. Your Business is with action alone, not with the fruit of action.”- The Bhagavad Gita
💜
Oh my goodness Jo, you are so full of wisdom. I loved that quote from your post, and how true that we have fallen behind in what is truly important. The dopamine hits are so like candy!! (I always want more of that 😂) thank you for your kind, wise words 💛💛
❤️❤️❤️ Love this. And I also believe that in many cases, slow is more sustainable and long-lived anyway. Redwoods vs bamboo. But I bet the baby redwoods have some feels about bamboo shoots growing in a day the amount it took them a decade.
Thank you Sarah 💛 I love that analogy. I would choose to be a giant redwood. Beautiful imagery!
This was both not an easy read (I relate so much it felt you were talking about me!) and a relief, as it made me realise it's ok to have these ugly jealousy feelings if you see them for what they are and then kindly send them on their way so you can continue doing your thing.
You're doing brilliantly. Just do your thing. I think Elizabeth Gilbert wrote something like that in Big Magic. Such simple words. Just do your thing.
Sending love 🤎
Thank you so much Sara. If feel like Big Magic is my bible. Like every word written in it is a salve to my soul and a reminder of what creativity really is for me. I love your words - “see them for what they are and then kindly set them on their way so you can continue doing your thing”, this is beautiful wisdom worthy of Big Magic. Sending love right back. You also, are doing brilliantly, by the way 💛💛
Love this so much. Your words are truly beautiful🙏I'm a new subscriber, as of yesterday. I’m trying to change my use of social media. Instagram and fb feel completely wrong for me now and I don’t subscribe to many people on here, because I don’t want to be overwhelmed by content😊
Living slowly is what I truly need at the moment and I’m finding so much joy in it. I’m slowly reconnecting with myself and my creativity and it feels wonderful🌿
My walks are slow too, and I stop to let walkers pass me, so that I can wander in peace and solitude🐌 Thank you for sharing this. I look forward to slowing reading through your posts🙏
Thank you Solveig, it’s lovely to connect with you here. I’m so pleased you’re finding joy in slowly reconnecting with yourself and your creativity, and taking slow walks in peace and solitude 💛
Your description of the fast walkers coming up behind hit me hard! I always so happily let them pass - i never would have thought that this applies in my creative life too and its so smart!
Thank you Meaghan, I’m so pleased this resonated. I need to remember I will never be a fast walker. I was never meant to be. 💛💛
Emily, thank you for this it is great to hear it. I follow several substacks but yours is one of the few I always read. I don’t have the finances to upgrade to paid (sorry) but I value your words, drawings and notes. I’m amazed by how much you get done and still find time to write and be creative. Thank you fir being in the space and sharing your real-ness. 😍
Anna, thank you so so much for your kindness. for taking the time to read and to share lovely words of encouragement, they mean so much 🩷
Yes. You discovered it. The secret. It’s the journey. The journey You are taking.
Thank you David, yes the journey is what it’s really about 💛
I heart love this Emily! I feeeeel it in my cells and my bones.
I’ve been grappling with comparisonitus and time scarcity. And I find all the hubbub about The Need To Be On Notes daily overwhelming. And what happened next? The joy dips, my creativity gets strangulated and I’m like, this isn’t why my heart was drawn to SS. Notes, for me, quickly becomes another just another social media platform to assist in procrastination, quick-fire dopamine hits and antsypantsyness.
Be-ing, not chasing, I know that is where the magic lies. But oh how quickly I forget.
Beautiful, comforting reminders and I’m wagering I’m not the only one feeling soothed by every word.
Following my own little nudges, coming back to present, posting when feeling inspired, that’s where my cup is filled to be sure. ✨💫🤸🏼♀️🪄
oh my dear Suzy. I heart love you. What I love about being here is how we've found freedom to express our hearts and found others who are right there with us, in such a genuinely honest and open way that we can draw such comfort in each other's words. I try to view notes as a way to have fun and play about, share what I like to see and not get hung up too much about it. for instance, today, I shared a picture of Steve (annoying puppy dog of mine) blowing drool bubbles... I think we do know where the magic lies don't we, but it's so easy to get swept up and forget. We need to remind each other. 💛💛
Bless you, bless you, bless yoooou, aaaall the daaaays you lovely, lovely being you. SS sure does feel like the most heart centred platform. I cherish that. Now, please excuse bc I must go in search of Steve!!!! …..
🤩😘
Emily, this is a wonderful post and so relatable. Your words and perspective feel so soothing and refreshing. I'll be coming back to your post again and again to remind myself of your words. I put pressure on myself time and time again to do more. But I have to keep learning the lesson that I cannot keep up with the crazy expectations I put on myself, and realising that actually releases me to do things my own way, in a way that feels good, instead of in a way that I feel like I should. X
Yes Jenna!! Doing what feels good instead of what we think we should. I’m so pleased this resonates with you, thank you for your kind comments. It’s so often only our own expectations that we should be further ahead, that we are falling behind. I hope you continue to find release to do things your way 💛🐾
I feel you Emily! I watched some recordings of the very same sessions you wrote about and caught myself doing so at 1.5 x speed on a bus ride across a Greek island before they go behind paywall . I watched 2 and decided it’s enough and that I should look out the window…
Sometimes we feel as though we’re falling behind but as you said, maybe it’s not the path we should be on in the first place. Xx
I’m glad you got to look out of the window and enjoy the scenery on your bus ride. There is so much wisdom and generosity and value in things that are shared here, but I feel that if we try to absorb it all and act on it all at the cost of enjoying the scenery, we have lost something more important along the way. Thank you so much for reading 💛
Yesss sometimes the gifts lie in presence over new wisdom
Well written and a sensation that many of us struggle with…the “competitive edge” in a capitalistic society. The space you are creating (whether here or somewhere else) runs counter to that world and setting it down is challenging.
Thank you. Yes, so true. I used to feel the ambition and competitiveness in my corporate career, wanting to push ever onward and upward. And it was exhausting. Now I just want to go slow. But sometimes that edge creeps back 💛
I totally get that feeling of wondering if we're falling behind in this crazy creative world. But you know what? Your approach, focusing on pleasure over pressure, is spot on. It's all about enjoying the journey, not just racing to the finish line.
Your writing has this magical way of making me feel like I'm not alone in all this creative chaos. Keep doing what you do best—inspiring us with your words and reminding us to slow down and savor the good stuff.
Sending you good vibes and creative energy,
Mohika💫🧡
Mohika, thank you so much for your kind words. It lifts my heart to know that I am not alone and that my words help others to know they’re not alone too 💛💛
Lovely words, simply lovely at a time like this.
Thank you 💛
This is lovely and so very relatable. I have a very persistent part whose hobby is berating me for my glacial output. I've slowly moved away from listening and experiencing guilt to listening and thanking it for doing what it's trying to do, which is protect me from the part which berates me mercilessly for falling behind. Ultimately, whenever I speed up I notice significantly less, and as I get older that's just something that I'm less and less willing to do, thankfully. I've come to trust that the right eyes fall on the right pieces at the right time, and that the figures are largely meaningless in the face of the genuine connection that can be fostered in sharing... All love, Emily. What beautiful things you're adding to the world.
Thank you so much Chloe. I sometimes feel like I rushed through the first half of my life so fast, only in the last few years have I truly taken the time to see beauty and wonder in this world, in the quiet and the calm. But I still need to remind myself every now and then that the numbers are indeed largely meaningless, as you say. I am truly deeply moved by the beautiful responses and so happy to be here, falling further and further behind, seeing more and more. So much love for you Chloe 💛