Permission to be. Artist, thinker, dreamer
To those who long to live life on their own terms,
Dear friends ✨
As I write this post, I’ve had one of the most connected weeks in the last few months.
This week, through my coaching services, I had the opportunity to speak with so many interesting people. I feel very fortunate.
As a social introvert, I appreciate the balance and variety of having a more introspective solitude-centred creative practice alongside conversations with others. On one hand, I get to spend long stretches solo, recharging my batteries, diving into my inner landscape, asking questions, and sometimes finding answers: writing, singing, and layering harmonies until I lose track of time.
On the other hand, I get to hold space for brilliant, resilient humans who — like me, like most of us — sometimes feel stuck or don’t feel like they’re living their full potential.
What I’ve noticed over and over again — and what feels especially alive this week — is this:
We say we want clarity. Direction. Answers. However, most of the time, we long for bravery. We already know where we’re heading, and the issue isn’t a lack of clarity; it’s the willingness to take the risk of standing for what matters to us.
We claim to be committed to our vision, but in reality, we are more committed to being afraid, being liked, accepted, not told off, and validated.
This might sound obvious, but there’s a whole ocean between understanding something cognitively and living it, embodying it, and letting it shape how you show up.
Here’s a deeper layer: what truly holds us back is often the struggle to make peace with an older version of ourselves. The part of us that still clings to a past idea of who we were “supposed” to be—the attachment to a fixed identity, built somehow in our imagination.
For example, we may realise that our definition of success has evolved. But permitting ourselves to grow beyond that definition? To change direction? To honour what’s true now? That’s the hard part.
It's as if humans have this real resistance to change. Or perhaps it is just a natural survival mechanism to save energy. Although if that's the case, I think it’s a total illusion, because so much energy gets wasted in keeping a lie alive for ourselves. We somehow make change 'wrong' or something to 'avoid'. We define ourselves by labels, maybe because we have to, and then forget that we are so much more!
This resistance can manifest in various ways:
It can mean struggling to prioritise processes over outcomes.
It can mean questioning the gendered expectations we've internalised — and having the courage to reinvent what certain qualities mean for us.
It might look like having to deal with the guilt of choosing rest over relentless productivity.
Face the shame that might present itself when wanting to let go of a high-status job to do something we never formally studied for, to support our creative or entrepreneurial path.
Or feeling guilty for investing and prioritising our passions instead of an expected or linear path of buying a house, getting married, or having children.
For multi-passionate and creative individuals, resistance often means hiding parts of themselves: behind the strategic thinker lives an artist. Or that intuition and logic can co-exist. That creativity and professionalism are not opposites. They can co-exist and make you an excellent leader or team player. We can be focused and playful. Grounded and imaginative. A deep thinker and a free spirit.
But many of us feel we have to choose just one version of ourselves.
Or worse—hide the parts that don’t fit the mould.
Present to the cost of hiding
We don’t pause long enough to feel the cost of this: of compartmentalising. Of living out of sync with who we truly are.
We just keep going, and often, we build lives full of habits that keep us busy, but far from silence, and far from ourselves.
When we do pause and get present to the impact of living misaligned, not embracing our strengths, purpose, qualities and joy, something shifts.
It’s not always dramatic. It's a subtle transformation, but it’s powerful!
We become more honest. More present. Deeply committed to our expression.
That's when things begin to open: ideas flow, and energy returns. Enthusiasm expands, and there is a certain level of magnetism about us.
Now, believe me when I say: there’s nothing more rewarding than witnessing this shift.
In ourselves and others.
Being committed to living an authentic life myself, I know the work that goes into surrendering. How much I have relied on and still sometimes rely on being liked, or more than that, on avoiding being disliked.
It comes a time when you start to realise - something within you clicks - that life is moving no matter what. Whether you worry or not, the clock is ticking, and that time does not come back. And so, you are faced with an important choice.
One that does not care about your past promises. It cares about the now:
Will you use your time to compare, assess, worry, hide, or shrink yourself?
Will you stay numb or remain overly busy to avoid acknowledging the impact?
Or are you going to stay present and feel all that comes up, shifting your attention to what you want now?
I am not dismissing feelings here. Or inviting you to bypass whatever arises. I am all about being mindful and present. Yet, there is a defined line between presence and indulgence.
And yes, in a world where standards have been set, education has led us to believe that certain things work for everyone. We need to be strong enough to recognise that we might want to play by different rules, and that does not mean we are invalidating anyone else.
So here’s my invitation this week:
✨ Let go of the need for validation. Who am I being when I seek permission and validation from others?
✨ Ask people what they think, and then ask yourself: Are they the right people to ask for advice or feedback? Are they an example of the type of life that you'd like to create for yourself? If not, then why do you care?
✨ Make peace with that older version of you who had a different plan. How? Listen to them. Give them space. Even give them a week to express themselves! What things would they be doing or saying? Integration is your word!
✨ Have an honest conversation with yourself, or even someone close, about what’s changed. Journaling is a powerful tool.
✨ And then, write a little note or contract to yourself.
Something like:
“I, ________, choose to reengage with my creative life fully.
I honour the shifts within me. I trust the timing. I release the past script: (describe it if it helps and has a particular grip on you)
I release the idea of who I was supposed to be (describe what that is…), and recommit to who I truly am becoming..”
Send it to yourself. I recommend posting it. Read it aloud. Stick it on your wall. Let it guide you.
With love and presence,
Leti
P.S. I’ll be starting a 3-month Cosmic Community of Creatives, where we share our work, create with briefs, and build connections. I am keeping it affordable. If you're interested, please join the waiting list here.