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Sophia Theories's avatar

Thank you so much for writing this! I'm struggling with the same thing. It's so tempting to delete my posts because I *know* I'm still growing as a writer and they'll be "cringe" one day. I've always tried to erase the unpolished versions of myself, but like you said, I've found the solution is to witness instead. I made my word of the quarter "cringe" to remind myself to keep going, lol. "Cringe is creativity’s stretch mark." <- I LOVE this. It's so true, we can't become better writers without tearing ourselves open, just like building muscle. Thank you again for this!

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Eleni Rizopoulou's avatar

Apologies for the delay, notifications are off and I missed many comments.

I love that you chose “cringe” as your word of the quarter haha, brilliant. The impulse to delete our unpolished selves is so real, but growth isn’t clean, and witnessing is its own kind of courage. So glad this resonated, and so grateful we’re stretching through it together! 😄

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Glenn DeVore's avatar

Eleni, this one hit hard, in the best way. I felt seen in more than one line, and undone in others. The Leonard Cohen quote already lives near the center of my writing life, and now I’ll carry this piece alongside it.

There’s such brave generosity in your words. The kind that risks something. The kind that doesn’t flinch. Your reflections on hesitation, creative identity, and the slow ache of vulnerability feel both timeless and timely. I found myself nodding, pausing, and re-reading paragraphs as if they were a guided meditation.

Thank you for writing this. And for making space not just for bravery, but for the truth that sometimes bravery feels like: mainly nausea, doubt, and silence. That felt like a deep truth to me.

Thank you!

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Eleni Rizopoulou's avatar

Glenn, thank you so much for this. I read your words slowly, and they landed with such resonance. It means the world that the piece felt like a space you could pause in. I’m so grateful it spoke to you and thank you for the support. Truly.😊

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Delaney Langdon's avatar

All too familiar with neuroception - but had never known what to call it! Loved this <3

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Eleni Rizopoulou's avatar

Right? Naming it feels like finding a missing puzzle piece, suddenly so much makes sense. Glad it resonated with you 😊

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