inspiration before everything

this could've been an email ~ and it is ~

I’ve been feeling disillusioned with social media (and how could I not? the constant comparisons, the politics fuelling the algorithms pressed upon us by the people making more money than we can imagine, our dopamine never satisfied).

and yet, I am here, we are here (though I am seeing a lot of my friends leaving the platforms, taking breaks, deciding to build offline businesses), so let’s talk about inspiring people and ideas.

whenever I feel directionless, unsure of where to start, and seem to lose my spark, I read the words Maria Popova tirelessly pours before us for almost 20 years now.

her profound interest in the world we live in, the topics she explores through writers and scientists I would never have encountered otherwise, and how she creates is beyond motivating and inspiring to me.

her Sunday newsletter has been a balm to my soul; it feels like going to church, there are times where I literally have to remember to breathe in my next breath.

I’ve been following the work of Jay Acunzo for some time now, and I have no idea how I stumbled upon him, and I’m unsure if I would be able to live without the sage advice he’s been giving out to marketers: resonance before reach. don’t be the best, be their favourite (maybe something I am doing right now? can I be your favourite?).

again something that powers me on, especially on days where it feels like creativity is over and we all have to follow a certain route or fall into a certain mould.

last but definitely not least, Emmie Rae.

getting caught up in a rush serves no one. stressing out is not a vibe. I’ve been thinking about writing about the pockets of rest I take for myself daily, weekly, and monthly, and how they have consumed my life in the best way possible.

whenever I need a little extra nudge to go the rest route instead of the go-go-go, Emmie’s words and visuals remind me of what we actually need, as women, as people having this gorgeous, sensual, sensory experience.

signing up for one of her Japan retreats is top of my wishlist for 2026.

it can feel scary to share honest writing, especially the one that you just seem to channel after reading an incredible poem.

but it’s not supposed to be like that.

“One day, you’ll realize that no one was really watching, and you could have done whatever you wanted.”

what do you want to do? what inspires you to do it?

I’d love to know!