Every creator knows or has known that Creative Isolation is not just being alone; it’s being disconnected.

If you’re exhausted, then you must be working… right? Wrong.

If you’re still holding on to a work that was finished ages ago, you’re not making progress; you’re practicing perfectionism.

What Exactly is “Perfectionism”?

Here’s what Julia Cameron has to say about Perfectionism:

Perfectionism has nothing to do with getting it right. It has nothing to do with fixing things. It has nothing to do with standards. Perfectionism is a refusal to let yourself move ahead. It is a loop—an obsessive, debilitating closed system that causes you to get stuck in the details of what you are writing or painting or making and to lose sight of the whole. Instead of creating freely and allowing errors to reveal themselves later as insights, we often get mired in getting the details right. We correct our originality into a uniformity that lacks passion and spontaneity. 

Why It Happens in Isolation:

• The Mask of Flawlessness: In isolation, we convince ourselves that everyone else has it all figured out. We believe that we must present a “perfect” version of ourselves to be worthy of connection, not realizing that vulnerability is actually what builds bridges.
• The Unchecked Inner Critic: Without external perspectives, our inner critic becomes the loudest voice in the room. There is no one around to say, “Hey, you’re being way too hard on yourself,” or “That’s actually an incredible first draft.”
• The Cycle of Avoidance: Out of fear that our flaws will be exposed, we pull away from others. We tell ourselves, “I’ll reach out once…” transforming perfectionism into a self-imposed exile.

The Cost of Perfectionism:

• The Eradication of Joy: When the goal is perfection, anything less feels like failure. What happens to our ability to celebrate small wins, enjoy our works of art for fun’s sake, or feel present in our lives?
• Analysis Paralysis: The fear of making a mistake becomes so debilitating that we procrastinate, overthink, or abandon projects and dreams entirely before they even start. What happens to the work of art that’s never started or never shared?
• Deepened Loneliness: The ultimate cost of perfectionism is isolation, keeping us disconnected from the very community we crave. What happens to the Art & Artists when we fail to create and maintain our creative communities?

Unpopular opinion:

That project you’re working on isn’t unfinished. You’re just using perfectionism to isolate yourself from the fear of judgment.

When we practice perfectionism, we not only fail to share our passion and ourselves, but we may fail to share our art at all. What does that get us? What does that get the world that needs our art, our message, our mission, and our voice?

It gets exactly nowhere.

Break the Cycle:

What would it take for you to break the cycle of Perfectionism? I offer a few options: A free 15-minute chat, you can COMMENT here, or contact me to talk about your project. Even saying the words out loud might be the thing you need.

It doesn’t have to be me. You can share your work with anyone.

Maybe not the whole draft yet, maybe that’s too much. What about confessing what you’re working on to a dear friend? A Stranger? What about announcing it on social media? Setting an accountability (shared) goal? Setting a date on the calendar by which time someone (you trust) will be expecting it? You can do it.

Make a start. Stop the spin. Ask for help.

SUMMER READING Videos on Instagram and YouTube!

Check out my channels for the video Introduction and 1 QUARTER Review!

REMINDER: You can win a PRIZE (some examples are coming soon in the Halfway Video!) by commenting on the video, DMimg me on those plateforms, or emailing linseyewing@gmail.com with the subject: SUMMER READING

I’d love to hear from you!

F(inish) It Framework: Mentality for 2026

I am running my business and my life through the exact framework of my signature program, F(inish) It.

• If you’re feeling burnt out, or like another thing on your list would break you
• If you need to add some intentionality, or you’re ready to stop making excuses
• If you are ready to stop starting and actually cross the finish line

Contact Me or COMMENT below, and we’ll make a customized plan for you and your project.

Ready to go deeper?

Book a free intro call and let’s talk about your work: FREE 15-minute check-in. You won’t regret it.

xxxlinsey

Every creator knows or has known Creative Isolation.

Isolation is not just being alone; it’s being disconnected from other creatives, input, feedback, and fresh perspectives.

You’re exhausted, so you must be working… right? Wrong. You’re spinning your wheels.

What Exactly is “Wheel-Spinning”?

Wheel-spinning is high effort and zero velocity.

Think over: over-polishing, over-thinking, over-deleting, over-perfecting. And under: under-utilizing other creative perspectives, under-serving the work, and under-producing all under the illusion of productivity.

Why It Happens in Isolation

• The Echo Chamber: Without external voices, your inner critic is the loudest person in the room.
• The Perfectionism Loop: You try to fix a problem by staring harder at it, rather than stepping away or asking for help.
• The Warning Signs: Spending hours picking your fonts, rewriting the same paragraph umpteen times, hiding your work-in-progress from others, etc.

The Cost of the Spin

• Creative Burnout: You are spending maximum energy just to stay in the exact same spot.
• The Imposter Spiral: When you don’t finish things, you start believing you can’t finish things.
• The Paradox: You isolated yourself so you could “focus and get it done,” but the isolation is the very thing keeping it stuck.

Breaking the Wheels

Your inner critic has had enough floor time. Break the spin. Join my Creative Collective.

The antidote to isolation is connection. We mean it—and we aren’t going to leave you spinning.

We built the Creative Collective for exactly this reason: to be an external sounding board, a fresh set of eyes, and the motivational boost you need when your wheels start to spin.

You don’t need a finished masterpiece to join us. In fact, we prefer you don’t. Bring your roughest draft, your stuck project, or just your tired brain. Stop spinning. We’ll get you unstuck together.

COMMENT here OR EMAIL me for the ZOOM LINK: linseyewing@gmail.com

SUMMER READING Videos on Instagram and YouTube!

Check out my channels for the video Introduction and 1 QUARTER Review!

F(inish) It Framework: Mentality for 2026

I am running my business and my life through the exact framework of my signature program, F(inish) It.

• If you’re feeling burnt out, or like another thing on your list would break you
• If you need to add some intentionality, or you’re ready to stop making excuses
• If you are ready to stop starting and actually cross the finish line

Contact Me or COMMENT below, and we’ll make a customized plan for you and your project.

Ready to go deeper?

Book a free intro call and let’s talk about your work: FREE 15-minute check-in. You won’t regret it.

xxxlinsey

Next week, I return to my desk.

It’s been a mess for some time, as I’ve said, but I will re-approach it rested and ready after this past weekend’s Planning Retreat.

The goal(s)? To solidify and streamline my messaging and map that messaging for the second half of 2026.

Why? To free up more creative time. To simplify my administrative output. To strategize for times when my energy is low and my decision-making capabilities are next to nil.

Mid-Year Planning Retreat: Inside My Q3 Strategy Session

This was my first dedicated Planning retreat, and I think it went super well.

I set strict boundaries…

FRI: Brain Dump Only. No work. Nice dinner out and early bedtime.

SAT: Deep Focus x 2 (at least). Break (at least 2) outside with movement. Early bedtime.

SUN: Early rise. Deep focus x 1 (at least). Wrap and Reflect. Prep to leave.

…and accomplished a lot:

FRI: Brain Dump and Organized for Saturday. Set myself up for success.

SAT: Deep focus x 4 (at least, maybe 5) with long breaks in between, outside time, and a stroll around the block.

SUN: Deep focus x 2 and Next Week’s prep.

Something I’m trying this year: Using the time I feel good to set intentions for the times I feel bad. Now I have a plan and some strategies for making that plan happen, even when I don’t feel like doing anything. I know this roadmap will help. I’ve made it as easy as possible for myself. All I have to do is show up.

The blueprint is set. The mind is rested. Q3, we are ready for you.

SUMMER READING Videos on Instagram and YouTube!

Check out my channels for the video Introduction and 1 QUARTER Review!

F(inish) It Framework: Mentality for 2026

I am running my business and my life through the exact framework of my signature program, F(inish) It.

• If you’re feeling burnt out, or like another thing on your list would break you
• If you need to add some intentionality, or you’re ready to stop making excuses
• If you are ready to stop starting and actually cross the finish line

Contact Me or COMMENT below, and we’ll make a customized plan for you and your project.

Ready to go deeper?

Book a free intro call and let’s talk about your work: FREE 15-minute check-in. You won’t regret it.

xxxlinsey

Right now, my desk and desktop are beautiful disasters. Coming up:

• I’m resetting my creative space to work better for me, aka. everything is everywhere
• I’m planning for a planning retreat and a youth trip: 2 directions. 2 sets of plans.
• I’m gearing up for the best and worst months of the year: Summer, yay, but Winter is Coming.

My to-do list is long, and my energy is high. I have:

• 3 projects on the horizon
• At least 2 more on the back burner with more pushed to 2027
• Weekly admin tasks, including this blog, and (more) habits that I want to build and continue.

All the while, my overachieving brain screams at me to make it all perfect.

Rest isn’t the reward for finishing the work; rest is a vital stage of the creative process itself.

My answer used to be: Push Through. Now I’m trying something different: Radical Rest. I am closing the laptop, grabbing my sunglasses, and heading out when I get overwhelmed.

There is an intense discomfort in walking away from a project when it is messy and half-done. We’ve been conditioned to believe that we only deserve a break after the work is perfectly polished.

But…

When you force a draft, you get forced results. By choosing to step away—by leaning into those pool vibes and letting the work sit untouched—you aren’t delaying your progress. You are participating in it.

My absolute best breakthroughs didn’t happen while I was white-knuckling my keyboard at a desk. They happened when I was swimming, reading a chapter of a novel, or just watching the sun.

Your subconscious mind needs the space of stillness to solve the problems your conscious mind is too tired to figure out.

So here it is: Your Permission Slip: If you are currently staring at a messy draft, a chaotic spreadsheet, or a half-done project—this is your sign to close the tab. Walk away for an hour, an afternoon, or a weekend. Let it breathe. It will be there when you get back, and you’ll be much better equipped to handle it.

F(inish) It Framework: Mentality for 2026

I am running my business and my life through the exact framework of my signature program, F(inish) It.

Believe it or not, resting, or at least Breaking-from-the-Project, is the first step in many of my programs.

• If you’re feeling burnt out, or like another thing on your list would break you
• If you need to add some intentionality, or you’re ready to stop making excuses
• If you are ready to stop starting and actually cross the finish line

Contact Me or COMMENT below, and we’ll make a customized plan for you and your project.

When we try to focus on everything, we finish nothing. You don’t need more hours in the day to make the rest of 2026 count. You need a definitive plan to finish 1 thing. I can help. Schedule your FREE diagnostic today.

SUMMER READING Videos on Instagram and YouTube!

Check out my channels for the video Introduction and 1 QUARTER Review!

xxxlinsey

If you need some help resetting this summer, try a FREE 15-minute check-in. You won’t regret it.

It’s June. Has panic set in? 6 months of 2026 have already vanished.

The way I see it, we have 2 options:

We can 1). Live into the panic. Try to make up for lost time by adding more to our plates. Promise to hustle harder, wake up earlier, and juggle five new projects to “save” the year.

OR 2). We can pick 1 thing and finish.

The first half of the year was about making space and seeing what grew; let’s not put the pressure on the last to yield everything we’ve planted.

Some of those seeds have withered and died by now, haven’t they? Some have gone by the wayside in some other capacity. Some will take more years to bear fruit. All that are left will take consistent work to thrive. So, here at the crux of Q2 and Q3, we re-evaluate our process and progress, reset/realign to our goals, and resume our forward movement with new intention and direction.

F(inish) It Framework:

I am running my business and my life through the exact framework of my signature program, F(inish) It. If you are ready to stop starting things and actually cross the finish line, Contact Me or COMMENT below, and we’ll make a customized plan for you and your project.

Here is the start to your mid-year reset:

Choose your “1 Thing”: Select 1 project and commit to seeing it through by the end of the Year. That is your anchor for Q3. Everything else is secondary.

Evaluate your resources. What do you have? What do you need? Map the progress you want to make onto your Calendar. Schedule your working sessions. Show up.

Optimize your habits. Make today 1% better than yesterday. Add 100 words. Cut 1 scene. Daydream 1 reward or future accolade.

When we try to focus on everything, we finish nothing. You don’t need more hours in the day to make the rest of 2026 count. You need a definitive plan to finish 1 thing. I can help. Schedule your FREE diagnostic today.

SUMMER READING Videos on Instagram and YouTube!

Check out my channels for the video Introduction and (coming soon!) Reviews!

xxxlinsey

If you need some help resetting this summer, try a FREE 15-minute check-in. You won’t regret it.

Before we get geared up for the second half of the year, let’s take a break, shall we?

What’s your favorite Summer memory? The pool? Yes! The ball field? Definitely!

For me, though, the best part of Summer as a kid was always the (mostly) uninterrupted reading time. The Books, the Library Smell, the (seemingly, at the time) endless Stacks of Stories. The Adventures! The Emotions! The FUN!

Yes, my mom made me go outside, but I took my book most of the time. I played plenty, but my heart has always been within the pages of a good book.

So I’m returning there this Summer, and I hope you will join me.

SUMMER READING Videos on Instagram and YouTube!

Check out my channels for the video Introduction and (coming soon!) Reviews!

I had not even read the blurb when I acquired this book at a fundraiser sale.

Sometimes I do (read the back/blurb when shopping); sometimes I don’t, but this was an author familiar (but not too familiar) to me (Alice Hoffman-I have read 1, maybe 2), so I skipped it this time. If you’d like to hear the blurb and/or see my reaction to it, check out the NEW ANNOUNCEMENT/Summer Reading video on Instagram and YouTube.

The Title is The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. If you’ve read it, PLEASE review it on the appropriate channels (i.e., mine, no; hers, yes!)! If you want to be involved in my experience, comment on the video or contact me, which you may also do here: Contact

The Daily Reading Ritual:

For me, the ultimate bridge between building a business and radical rest is a dedicated reading habit.

I have always loved reading, and I’ve got quite the TBR collection. For this new ritual, I have been rotating 4 TBR piles:

1. for my BIZ
2. Personal Growth or Health and Happiness
3. Play or Creativity Exploration
4. and the Summer Reading “fun read” choice.

4 “piles” with 5 optional “blocks.” Oh, and one of these blocks must be fiction. That’s it. Those are the only rules.

I set each block to be 30 minutes (e.g., from 10-10:30 AM), but I only set the timer for 20 minutes. It often takes me a minute to get settled, and I have been absolutely astounded at how difficult it is for me to keep still that entire time! Part of this is the gumption to get up and do what the book suggests. Part is the eroded attention span I’m trying to mend.

Here’s a sample schedule (it, of course depends on the day):

• AM BLOCK 10-10:30 AM
• NOON BLOCK 12:30-1PM
• PM BLOCK 2-2:30 PM
• EXTRA BLOCK 4-4:30 PM
• BONUS BLOCK 8:30-9PM

Here’s what my Reading Ritual looks like:

I set a timer, grab my book and beverage, and head for the nearest comfy spot. If I’m anxious, or my mind is still spinning from what I “should” still be doing, I keep on my feet. I long ago mastered the art of pacing and reading simultaneously.

Depending on the block or book, I might also grab my pen and a notepad/book.

All 5 blocks equal 2.5 hours of reading a day. My minimum is 3 blocks or 1 hour total.

Think you can do it? Join me!

xxxlinsey

If you need some help resetting this summer, try a FREE 15-minute check-in. You won’t regret it.

https://calendly.com/linseyewing/initial

Summertime…and well, everything is different.

In April, we did the hard work of Spring Cleaning. We made space for what was possible. In May, we watched the first new ideas sprout. And we just hit June—the exact halfway mark of the year.

Remember…Anxiety and Anticipation are the same emotion. Check your perspective.

If you look back at the goals you set in January (HA!) and feel guilt instead of excitement, take a deep breath.

You are no longer that person; you are not headed that direction, and those goals do not serve you. Say it with me. The person who wrote those goals six months ago didn’t have what you have right now. And, by the way, it is entirely OK to change your mind. Pivoting isn’t quitting.

If you’re not where you want to be this June, we are giving ourselves permission to rewrite the script as we prepare to reset for Q3.

June Vibes Only

I’m practicing what I preach. This month is all about balancing new habits with radical rest and keeping it super simple. Here is a sneak peek:

• Ritual: Summer Reading is here!
• Reset: “Finish It” Mentality for 2026
• Rest: Intentional Breaks as Progress
• Retreat: Realign and Resume for Q3

We aren’t stumbling into the second half of the year exhausted. We are auditing, pivoting, and preparing.

Join me.

xxxlinsey

If you need some help resetting this summer, try a FREE 15-minute check-in. You won’t regret it.

https://calendly.com/linseyewing/initial

What’s Possible?

Limits create safety. At least the illusion of safety. Their removal creates a sense of boundlessness, free-floating, untethered possibility. Think outer space and the ocean; we’ve only so far scratched the surface of exploration.

I’m in one of those places now. Not physically zero-gravity or treading water, but facing a new, vast, and potentially unfriendly frontier.

Daunting, yes. Then I remember sage advice I’ve heard and given here before: Anxiety and Anticipation are the same emotion with different flavors.

It doesn’t take much for me to slip from one to the other.

So. I choose.

Anything Imaginable.

What will I do next? What can I do? What am I good at?

Maybe most importantly: What do I WANT?

I can make list after list of things I DON’T want, but this is much harder. It’s an exercise I’ve taken months to explore in my email series on The Artist’s Way [sign up at linseyewing.com/get-access and receive some writing freebies!]

In May, we entered the chapter of Possibility, and I had no idea what was coming. Next month, it’s Abundance, and I have a feeling I’m in for a wild ride with that one, too.

By Whom?

Here’s another nugget of wisdom I’ve used before: If it’s possible, it can be done, and if it can be done, it can be done by you.

YOU/Me/US

So, if anything is possible and I can do it, that’s great news, but what is IT?

I think that’s what we’ll be exploring here in the coming months.

Stay Tuned.

PAPERBACK PROMO MONTH ENDS SUNDAY!

During MAY every year (and sometimes other months, depending), I run a PAPERBACK PROMO.

Basically, you can get the paperbacks directly from me at a discounted rate for 1 MONTH ONLY!

2026 Pricing Promotion: 2 books for $20 and/or 3 books for $30

Fill out the FORM on my WEBSITE: https://www.linseyewing.com/novels

Courses STARTING NEXT WEEK!

LIVING WRITE and EDIT SOBER are 5-week courses that include a guided journal with practical prompts and exercises to keep you moving forward every day for more than a month. Asynchronous courses are also available!

EACH week of each course has a theme that brings you closer to your goal, freebies and exercises for the assist, and group/individual coaching for the win!

BOTH courses come with a guided journal for 31 days of self-care, intention and motivation, and follow-through tracking.

LIVING WRITE:

LIVING WRITE: I built LIVING WRITE to go from IDEA to FINISHED DRAFT in as little as a month. First, we flesh out our idea(s). We begin to practice putting aside time for our craft. Then we move through our space and supplies to evaluate what we’ve got and what we need. Finally, we set in motion the perfect-for-you routine that will get your project done and dusted for good this time.

LIVING WRITE is for ANYONE starting or refreshing ANY CREATIVE routine AND/OR ready to FINALLY FINISH a first draft of any project.

LIVING WRITE INTEREST FORM: This is NOT a commitment. There is NO obligation. Only Interest.

EDIT SOBER:

EDIT SOBER: I built EDIT SOBER to go from a “Dirty Draft” to an as-polished-as-I-can-get-it manuscript ready for another reader. Similar to LIVING WRITE, we start with the evaluation of what we have and need. Then we move through the manuscript at least twice: once for fun and once (or more) with intention. Finally, we start a new, clean second (or third or whatever!) draft that we build from the blocks of our previous work.

EDIT SOBER is for WRITERS ready to whip a “Dirty Draft” into shape for ALPHA or BETA Readers or an Editor. The course may also work for OTHER CREATIVE ENDEAVORS that are STUCK or need a SYSTEMATIC APPROACH to revisiting an older work.

EDIT SOBER INTEREST FORM: This is NOT a commitment. There is NO obligation. Only Interest.

NEED MORE? [COMMENT or DM ME the name of the course you’re interested in!]

Keep an eye on my Instagram (@ewinglinsey) for video descriptions of the books and courses.

Let’s get something done this summer, what do you say?

CURRENT NOVEL PROGRESS

ASD Draft 1: GOAL: 50K-word draft by May 31, 2026!

Current Word Count:

The structural edits continue, though I think I’m finally at the point of freewriting the parts that belong in the draft next. This will be my goal this final week of May, and then a REST. I may take up the edits in July. We will see.

HAPPENING THIS MONTH

Tuesday Evenings: YouTube Stream at 5 PM Central / 6 EST

Creative Collective: NEXT MEETING (tentatively): JUNE 1, 2026 @7:30 PM

COMING SOON!

Summer Reading. Stay Tuned.

Until next time

Don’t forget, if you’re having trouble naming your passion, finding time to work, or just want to discuss your WIP, I’m only a click away. Take the time. You won’t regret it.

Start or Finish today. I can help.

Book your FREE 15 minutes

xxxlinsey

Well, it’s that time: PROMO MONTH!

In case you weren’t aware, I’m now working on Novel Number 4. During MAY every year (and sometimes other months, depending), I run a PAPERBACK PROMO.

Basically, you can get the paperbacks directly from me at a discounted rate for 1 MONTH ONLY!

This is also the month leading up to the 2nd run of my GROUP COURSES. You may choose to participate asynchronously at any point, but I really think there is something to the group dynamic. Give it a try. Your NEXT opportunity for GROUP courses AFTER JUNE 2026 is JANUARY 2027.

Books:

2026 Pricing Promotion: 2 books for $20 and/or 3 books for $30

Fill out the FORM on my WEBSITE: https://www.linseyewing.com/novels

Variations on the Theme of Goodbye

GOODBYE for short. This is my first book, so give it some grace. It’s about grieving people and what they’ve lost and all the ways in which we lose and reconnect with people, places, and things. It is mostly clean, sad, and thought-provoking.

TAGLINE: Six grieving people obliviously interconnected

LUKE

Because I will never again name anything as LONG as Variations on the Theme of Goodbye. Another title was “The Handyman.” It’s a day in the life of an unlikely hero in an unlikely situation. OR what happens when someone with next to nothing (to lose) encounters someone with everything (or is it?) OR the unexpected repercussions of how we treat people. It has violence, language, and an unexpected ending.

TAGLINE: Guy meets Girl meets Murphy’s Law

The Daily Grind

Or TDG. It’s about the people in and around a coffee shop called The Daily Grind and how they interact. It’s clean and appropriate for all maturish readers (in other words, not a children’s book). It has a wider scope (more characters), like Goodbye, and a larger message like LUKE.

TAGLINE: You never know who’s watching

Courses:

LIVING WRITE and EDIT SOBER are 5-week courses that include a guided journal with practical prompts and exercises to keep you moving forward every day for more than a month. Asynchronous courses are also available!

EACH week of each course has a theme that brings you closer to your goal, freebies and exercises for the assist, and group/individual coaching for the win!

BOTH courses come with a guided journal for 31 days of self-care, intention and motivation, and follow-through tracking.

LIVING WRITE:

LIVING WRITE: I built LIVING WRITE to go from IDEA to FINISHED DRAFT in as little as a month. First, we flesh out our idea(s). We begin to practice putting aside time for our craft. Then we move through our space and supplies to evaluate what we’ve got and what we need. Finally, we set in motion the perfect-for-you routine that will get your project done and dusted for good this time.

LIVING WRITE is for ANYONE starting or refreshing ANY CREATIVE routine AND/OR ready to FINALLY FINISH a first draft of any project.

LIVING WRITE INTEREST FORM: This is NOT a commitment. There is NO obligation. Only Interest.

EDIT SOBER:

EDIT SOBER: I built EDIT SOBER to go from a “Dirty Draft” to an as-polished-as-I-can-get-it manuscript ready for another reader. Similar to LIVING WRITE, we start with the evaluation of what we have and need. Then we move through the manuscript at least twice: once for fun and once (or more) with intention. Finally, we start a new, clean second (or third or whatever!) draft that we build from the blocks of our previous work.

EDIT SOBER is for WRITERS ready to whip a “Dirty Draft” into shape for ALPHA or BETA Readers or an Editor. The course may also work for OTHER CREATIVE ENDEAVORS that are STUCK or need a SYSTEMATIC APPROACH to revisiting an older work.

EDIT SOBER INTEREST FORM: This is NOT a commitment. There is NO obligation. Only Interest.

NEED MORE? [COMMENT or DM ME the name of the course you’re interested in!]

Keep an eye on my Instagram (@ewinglinsey) for video descriptions of the books and courses.

Let’s get something done this summer, what do you say?

CURRENT NOVEL PROGRESS

ASD Draft 1: GOAL: 50K-word draft by May 31, 2026!

Current Word Count: 17,584

I printed a new draft, got some structural stuff worked out, started front and back matter (I know…it is nowhere near time for this…but it IS progres), and word dumped some ideas on scenes that need to be written. Onward!

HAPPENING THIS MONTH

Tuesday Evenings: YouTube Stream at 5 PM Central / 6 EST

Creative Collective: NEXT MEETING (tentatively): JUNE 1, 2026 @7:30 PM

In Other News

Don’t forget, if you’re having trouble naming your passion, finding time to work, or just want to discuss your WIP, I’m only a click away. Take the time. You won’t regret it.

Start or Finish today. I can help.

Book your FREE 15 minutes

Until next time

xxxlinsey

Inner Critic vs. Inner Editor

Working for myself has been a journey.

Kind of like working for a toxic boss at first. I didn’t know how to treat me, and I was way worse at giving myself grace than I have ever been at extending grace to other people.

It took me years (and a little help) to realize there were opposing forces in my head, and they both had a voice.

What mattered was which one I listened to.

As writers, artists, or creatives of any stripe, we all have critics. We have editors, too.

We can’t choose our critics, but we can choose our editors, and that choice begins inside our own heads.

Inner Critic

INHIBITS future progress.

Criticizes EVERYTHING you do.

Convinces you YOU are wrong.

Leaves you nothing to DO.

Inner Editor

VALIDATES the work you’ve done and ENCOURAGES future work.

Illuminates the POSITIVE, which in turn casts into relief what needs work.

Highlights problems with the WORK.

Points the way FORWARD toward progress.

Which Will You Feed?

I didn’t use my capitals randomly that time. If you notice, I gave you a shortcut to remembering which is which:

Inner Critics: Inhibit Everything You Do

Inner Editors: Validate and Encourage Positive Work Forward.

We all have both an Inner Critic and an Inner Editor. Which one is stronger depends entirely on which one we’re willing to listen to most of the time.

Need to develop your Inner Editor?

Ask for help. Chances are, you are too close, too deep, or too sensitive, and you can’t see the forest for the trees. If you’re not even sure where to start, use the quick cleaning method, even if you just make a list.

When you have guests coming unexpectedly, you clean what you can, right? You make a priority list from the front door to the bathrooms, and you get moving. It’s the same with quick editing.

• Make a list of all the things you’d fix if you could.
• Make a list of all the things that cannot change without ruining everything.
• Make a list of problems.
• Make a list of questions you want answered.
• Make a list of everything you want your reader/audience to experience through your work.

Even if you only have a list at the end of this process, you will have SOMETHING, which is NOT NOTHING. A list is a great place to start, either for yourself or for your next reader.

If you’re looking for a little more guidance, ASK ME about one of these courses starting in June. They are mind-blowingly simple but powerful tools that you will use over and over again, I promise, because I do. Let’s get something done this summer, what do you say?

Take the NEXT STEP: Sign up for LIVING WRITE or EDIT SOBER (GROUP courses) starting JUNE 2026

LIVING WRITE and EDIT SOBER are 5-week courses that include a guided journal with practical prompts and exercises to keep you moving forward every day for more than a month. Asynchronous courses are also available!

LIVING WRITE is for starting or refreshing a creative routine AND/OR for finishing a first draft of any project.

LIVING WRITE INTEREST FORM: This is NOT a commitment. There is NO obligation. Only Interest.

EDIT SOBER is for whipping a “Dirty Draft” into shape for ALPHA or BETA Readers or an Editor.

EDIT SOBER INTEREST FORM: This is NOT a commitment. There is NO obligation. Only Interest.

INTERESTED? [COMMENT or DM ME the name of the course you’re interested in!] Keep an eye on my Instagram! Video descriptions are coming soon.

CURRENT NOVEL PROGRESS

TDG is LIVE: https://a.co/d/9YJ3ztr

ASD Draft 1: GOAL: 50K-word draft by May 31, 2026!

Current Word Count: 17,584

I took some time away without really meaning to, and now I think I’m ready to return. I dumped what I had left and am working on new words this week. Wish me luck!

HAPPENING THIS MONTH

Tuesday Evenings: YouTube Stream at 5 PM Central / 6 EST

Creative Collective: NEXT MEETING (tentatively): JUNE 1, 2026 @7:30 PM

In Other News

Don’t forget, if you’re having trouble naming your passion, finding time to work, or just want to discuss your WIP, I’m only a click away. Take the time. You won’t regret it.

Start or Finish today. I can help.

Book your FREE 15 minutes

Until next time

xxxlinsey