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Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 3h

For sure, we can learn from others.

Study how other artists create

what they start with,

how they move through resistance,

where they decide it’s done.

You’ll see patterns.

You’ll see permission.

And you’ll sharpen your own process in the mirror.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 15h

Expect miracles.

But work for them too.

Faith opens the door.

Action walks through it.

Do your part and then let the universe do its magic.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 21h

If you skip a day or two of journaling, don’t guilt yourself.

Just return.

The page isn’t judging you.

It’s waiting for you.

Write one line, one word, one sentence.

There. Now you’re back!

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Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 1d

I feel that my imagination has gone dry.

This is a nice reminder:

“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”

— Mary Oliver

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 1d

My latest issue of Pen to Heart is live!

Find it here:

https://pentoheart.substack.com

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 1d

Do the hard things first.

That one task you’re avoiding?

It’s the one that unlocks momentum.

Start with resistance.

End with relief.

That’s how you move forward!

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 2d

The faster you forgive yourself,

the faster you move forward.

Self-blame keeps you stuck in the past.

Self-forgiveness gets you back in motion.

Learn. Adjust.

Move again, lighter this time.

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Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 2d

Step away before burnout hits.

Creativity isn’t a race, it’s a rhythm.

Pause when the spark starts to dim. Rest refuels your ideas.

Stopping isn’t quitting. It’s how you last.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 2d

Keep distractions out of reach.

Your creativity thrives in quiet focus, not in the noise of constant pings.

Protect the space where ideas are born.

Silence is where your best work starts.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 3d

Self-editing tip:

Check every paragraph for purpose.

If it doesn’t move the story, reveal character, or add insight, cut it.

Tight writing reads with power.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 3d

Get to the point quickly when you write.

It’s all too easy to ramble, by explaining, circling, etc.

Trim the fluff.

Say what you mean.

Clarity always wins attention.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 3d

Finance Tip:

This one’s been hard for me.

Don’t dip into your emergency fund for non-emergencies.

Not for a sale. Not for a vacation.

It's for a real emergency!

Getting it right is worth it...

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 4d

Love this quote, and I love her:

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

— Maya Angelou

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 5d

Always journal in the morning?

Try something new.

Write before bed.

Empty your thoughts.

Clear your mind.

You’ll sleep deeper, dream clearer, and wake lighter.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 5d

Tuesday: the sequel nobody asked for, but you still have to star in. ☕🎬
#TuesdayVibes #Mindset

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 5d

Remember — your journal is just for you.

No audience.
No performance.
No pressure.

Write for your eyes only.

That’s when the truth shows up.

The more private it feels, the more honest you’ll be.

And that’s where freedom begins.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 5d

What a lovely sentiment:

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, honorable, compassionate.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 6d

Failure is data, not identity.

It’s feedback.
Information.
A signal to adjust, not quit.

I learn this lesson over and over again,

and every time, it stings less and teaches more.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 6d

Love this gratitude reminder!

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”

— Aesop

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 6d

Collect quotes and snippets that move you.

Lines that make you stop.

Sentences that change your posture.

Read them. Stud them.

Ask:

Why did that phrase hit?
Why did that image stay?

Those words are sparks.
Keep them close.
They’ll light your own when it’s dark.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 7d

Most writers describe what they see.

Great writers describe what they feel.

Don’t say the sky was blue.
Say the air felt like a clean slate.

Don’t say she was nervous.
Say her pulse forgot the rhythm.

Keep rewriting until the line hits you first, and then it’ll hit them!

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Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 7d

Love this:

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

— Arthur Ashe

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Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 7d

Quick creativity tip:

Don’t start from scratch. Remix your old work.

A past essay becomes a thread.
A paragraph becomes a poem.
A sketch becomes a print.

Your archive is a goldmine waiting for a fresh spin.

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 8d

Bumped into these artifacts in the museum at Mycenae.

Check out the necklace especially.

I'd wear that!

Kathy Tsoukalas @kathtsoukalas.bsky.social · 9d

Personal finance tip:

Focus on progress, not perfection.

You don’t need a flawless budget, a spotless credit score, or a perfectly timed investment.

You just need to keep showing up.

Save $10. Pay off one bill. Read one article about money.

Financial confidence is built one small win at a time.

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