The Say No With Love Letters
Join me as I get personal and deep about how saying no has changed my life. Each week, I’ll dive into the good, the bad, and the raw truths, paired with a tangible, reflective question to help you kickstart your own "Say No With Love" journey. Let’s rewrite the narrative together. Using mindfulness and self-discovery, I help creatives break free from self-doubt and limiting beliefs. At Breathing Space Creative, we embrace the long path, paying attention to everything along the way, especially the things we might usually overlook.
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I only write on Sundays (but that’s not the whole story)
Weekly Say No With Love Letter I only write on Sundays (but that’s not the whole story) Reader, When I tell people I only work on my book projects on Sundays, they rarely believe me. So maybe I’ll let you in on something I’m always thinking about. I’ve learned to value something far more important than word count. We’ve all said it: “I don’t have time to write.”Or, “If only I had more time off work, then this would be easier.” But I had to tell myself back in 2017, one year before I launched...
READ POSTYour writing won’t deepen if your living doesn’t.
Weekly Say No With Love Letters Your writing won’t deepen if your living doesn’t. Reader, This is my year of the three R’s. Reading. Rereading. Reflecting. Since January, I’ve read more books in three months than I have in some full years—and it’s been a gorgeous experience. Reading something for the first time feels like holding a handful of puzzle pieces. The beginning. A quiet invitation to examine each one slowly, curiously. But rereading? That’s when the pieces begin to click into place....
READ POSTwho are you here for?
Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter who are you here for? Reader, Who are you here for? This is a question I’ve been sitting with lately, and it touches so many branches of my life. When it comes to my writing—who am I here for?When it comes to the work I do with writers—who am I here for?And in everyday life, in the quiet and the chaos—who am I here for? I’m writing this from a cute little cafe, first jotting these thoughts down messily in my notebook, and now sharing them with you. But the...
READ POSTwhat I'm saying ... YES to?
Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter - BONUS! what I'm saying ... YES to? Reader, I just wanted to start by saying thank you. The replies, reflections, and sweet notes that came through after yesterday’s Say No With Love letter truly filled me up. I read and replied to every single one—and it reminded me how powerful it is when we make space for honest, heart-led conversations. So I thought I’d keep that energy going and share something I’m really excited about. Obviously, I talk about saying...
READ POSTthe textured art of listening
Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter the textured art of listening Reader, I’ve talked a lot about listening in these Say No With Love letters. But this past week, something shifted. I didn’t just talk about listening—I embodied it. And what surfaced was a deeper, more textured understanding of what listening truly means. To me, listening is more than what you hear. It’s what you feel in your body. It’s your stillness, your breath, your instinct to lean in. It’s the subtle shifts you notice in...
READ POSTwhat's been there all along
Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter what's been there all along Reader, Although it was a while back, I remember how deeply affected I was the first time I heard Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s talk The Danger of a Single Story. In her incredibly well-known talk Adichie speaks to the power of stories, but also warns how, in our lives, we often operate from the perspective of knowing only a single story—about a person, a situation, or even a conflict. But what if, as writers, we explored only a...
READ POSTHave you lost something that once felt like you?
Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter Have you lost something that once felt like you? Reader, Last week, I felt a little off. Not exactly sad, not overwhelmed—just removed from myself. I think this is natural. As we grow, we also outgrow. As we move through the world, we absorb—sometimes intentionally, sometimes without even realizing it. And then one day, we wake up and feel slightly … misaligned. The shift was sharp for me because, just the week before, I was fired up about my novel. I had so...
READ POSTWhat does your past work say about you?
Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter What does your past work say about you? Reader, You don’t have to sacrifice pieces of yourself to create something meaningful. Last week, I found myself skimming through my book Let It Go—something I do each month as part of a reflective share in my Thrive Coaching Program. It’s my way of checking in, seeing what still resonates, what has evolved, and inviting my clients to do the same in their own creative work. I landed on the final chapter, Coming Full...
READ POSTWhen was the last time you REALLY listened?
Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter When was the last time you REALLY listened? Reader, Sometimes, simply listening and holding space is all that’s needed. Last week, I went to my usual café about an hour away, and when I got to the bus stop, I was surprised to see someone else there, in my spot. Normally, it’s just me waiting on my own for this bus that sometimes shows up and sometimes doesn’t. I rarely see anyone, aside from maybe the odd person walking their dog along the gravel trail that...
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