My dearest fellow soul-traveller,
For the first time I remember, I've been without my usual non-stop flow of ideas – that perpetual stream of thoughts that's both the gift and challenge of my beautifully busy butterfly brain.
It's been unsettling, like standing in a room that used to be full of music and realising it's inexplicably fallen silent.
It's strange, isn't it, how silence can sneak into a life? For months, I've felt... quiet. Not the peaceful kind, more the unsettling kind – the kind that arrives when words feel simultaneously too big and too small to hold what's moving through you.
I suspect you know this feeling, too. So today, I finally got it together decided to write to you and share my journey. Because maybe, just maybe, my stumbling path through the silence might help light the way for yours...
Prepare your nest, grab a cuppa and get cosy… it’s a long (love-filled) one.
The Creative Drought (Where Even Words Go to Hide)
It starts so subtly.
One day, you have no words to express your thoughts and experiences. Next, your usual creative flow dwindles to a mere trickle. Before you know it, the intensity of the world has you retreating into your shell like an especially sensitive hermit crab.
It's yet another unexpected journey into The Creative Abyss™ (really should pack snacks next time). 🤔
The irony is that despite this apparent creative "drought," I've still somehow written several blog posts to try and express my discoveries. Each one went unpublished because it felt inauthentic, too polished, too “Should-led.” I was searching for the words, grasping at straws, mixing my metaphors in an attempt to share and serve.
Meanwhile, my wise, wonderful, sensitive soul kept whispering (okay, sometimes shouting), "not yet, wait for truth."
And so, believing in magic, I (eventually) did…
The Raw Reality (Where Truth Lives)
The truth is, over the last few months, I've been recovering.
From burnout, self-doubt, and the particular overwhelm that comes when your neurodivergent brain is processing big life changes – sudden caring responsibilities, the return of my old nemesis agoraphobia (who really needs a better hobby), and striving to find my next THING after finishing my Creative Writing and Wellbeing MA.
I've been feeling lonely, lost, silent in my struggle to express what's stirring within. And I've been feeling the weight of the world, too... which I know I'm not alone in.
But as I remembered to sit with these feelings instead of fighting them (that lesson again), the following words from the poem Sweet Darkness, by one of my favourite writers,
landed in my heart and mind:[Here’s the whole poem read by David Whyte, thanks to ]
Perhaps this creative pause has been its own kind of "sweet confinement" - a necessary cocoon where something new could take shape, like a butterfly gathering strength before its first flight. How fitting this re-emergence aligns with Pluto moving into Aquarius, heralding what astrologers call a profound timeline shift.
The last time this happened, 248 years ago, it sparked revolutions of consciousness and social change. (No pressure!)
So what's awakening in me?
A simpler way of being. A clearer way of serving. A gentler way of creating.
Because maybe - just maybe - we're not less because we feel everything intensely. We're pretty courageous for staying with these feelings, writing and walking our way through them, one wobbly word and uncertain step at a time.
Not fighting the flow. But finding a way to BE with what is… despite the forces that temporarily knock us sideways. This, for me, is an act of reverence.
What's Unfolding (The Return of Wonder)
As I emerge from this quiet time, blinking in the light like a bewildered mole, I'm discovering something rather magical. Not only are my words returning, but the faucet of ideas has turned back on. This time, flowing at a pace that lets me truly see where the gold lies.
The Creative Abyss™ held incredible treasures.
Tucked away in a corner, colouring a butterfly and surrounded by pencils in a rainbow of hues, Playfulness reminded me of how important it is to stop taking everything so seriously. To let go and let Little Helen play.
Following the curious and unexpected sound of giggles, I discovered Humour hiding. She turned to me, sheer joy lighting up her face as Miranda's mother uttered her immortal catchphrase, "Such fun!" on the TV. Words that never fail to make me smile… even in the darkest corners of the Abyss.
I realised the only person blocking me was myself. Letting go of Shoulds and striving (again!), I instead embraced play.
I gathered my coloured pencils, stole borrowed a colouring book from my lovely sis, retreated to my cosy nook and spent hours absorbed. As I binge-watched Miranda's adventures, laughed out loud and opened my heart wide, clarity emerged like morning light through parting clouds.
The gold, I discovered, is me - all aspects, the levity and the gravity.
Building Bridges with Gentleness
Cherishing my treasures, I revisited the idea that never leaves: to create a gentle, permission-rich space for embodied writing sessions focused on wellbeing.
Only this time, rather than feel the idea isn't “enough” or letting the “who am I to do this” cries of the Fear Fairies hold me back, I am embracing my wholeness and Letting Love lead (again!).
I'm nurturing something that feels like a bridge between where I've been and where I want to go.
Like a tender seedling pushing through soil, this soul-led, scary-in-a-good-way idea blends the embodiment and energy practices that support me through transitions, with writing for wellbeing approaches. Creating a gentle journey to reconnect with our wholeness through the power of words.
However, thanks to my unexpected foray into the Creative Abyss, instead of rushing to launch ALL THE THINGS (my usual dance), I'm gifting myself - and this creation - the medicine of slowness and simplicity.
Under the gentle umbrella of Flourishing Kindreds (my vision for creating a space where kindred spirits can meet and truly flourish), I'm letting go of about 50% of my original grand plans. And surprisingly, given my usual desire to do ALL THE THINGS, it feels good. Really good.
And more than enough.
Because sometimes less really is more, especially when you're a sensitive soul navigating life's unexpected plot twists.
Embracing the Journey: The Art of Flourishing in Real Time
Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, this offering will take wing in its own time - hopefully in early 2025 (good things take time, like an excellent oat cappuccino).
Meanwhile, having reconnected to what really matters to me (and what held me back), I'm excited to share the journey unfolding here with you over the next few weeks, in all its messy, imperfect perfection.
Flourishing doesn't mean everything is perfect and sorted (despite what your Fear Fairies say).
You know that, I know that… but I still have to remind myself regularly that flourishing takes different forms. Right now, it's about trusting the process, deepening my self-compassion, and showing up more courageously. Because of, not despite, my humanness.
Who knows what might unfold from continuing to trust my wise soul?
I hope you stick around to find out!
Over to You, Beautiful Soul
I'd love to hear how you're navigating these intense times. What's one small way you're being gentle with yourself when words or creativity feel distant?
Perhaps it's as simple as allowing yourself five minutes of window-gazing or writing one wobbly sentence in your journal.
I invite you to join the conversation and share your reflections, experiences, or recommendations in the comments below; you never know whose heart you might touch through your words. Together, we can create a supportive community that uplifts and learns from one another, embracing our sensitivity and celebrating our authentic, quirky selves.
In the meantime, I’ll do my best to let love lead and continue sharing tender inspiration shoots here. I’d love to gather more kindred spirits into this cozy corner, so if you resonate with my vibe, please subscribe and share with others who might appreciate it, helping our garden of gentle souls grow.
Thanks for being here and reading, as always. May you always know how magical you are, even when you get dragged into the Creative Abyss.
Until next time, go gently and give yourself grace,
With love and levity (and possibly chocolate),
P.S. Remember: We're not less because we feel everything intensely. At least, that's what I keep telling my "but-we-should-be-doing-ALL-the-things" brain.
Good 🌈🌈
Thank you, Helen, for a lovely thoughtful piece 😊
Also trying to navigate my way through a creative abyss here, wondering how to spend my life with my newly-discovered neuro-divergent being (only taken me nearly 70 years! 🙄)
It's lovely to meet kindred spirits here xx