14 Comments
User's avatar
Kimberly's avatar

I am in a beautiful yet uncomfortable period of personal-slash-professional development right now, and your words today were a balm I didn’t realize I needed. You verbalized the tension between joy and excitement versus fear and avoidance over a pursuit in a way that helped me really understand what I’ve been experiencing in a new way and made me feel deeply seen.

Your selection of Judy Brown’s “Fire” provided a truly sublime illustration of your post’s overarching theme.

Your “And remember” section was absolutely inspired. Yes! Yes! Yes! to every point you made!

Your encouragement, “Bad drafts are so much better than perfect fantasies of drafts,” is something I see myself coming back to again and again. I have read or heard this advice in many varied forms, but your phrasing particularly connected with me.

Expand full comment
Alix Klingenberg's avatar

Thank you so much for these kind reflections, Kimberly. It really means a lot when the words land. I’m so glad they found you today ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Expand full comment
Kate Ballo's avatar

Hii!! This post inspired a lovely erotic poem writing jaunt. Thank you for these gentle, nervous sytem respecting invitations. They got me writing joyfully and experimentially, and that’s the best gift i could have received today!

Expand full comment
Alix Klingenberg's avatar

Yay! That’s the best feeling - you made my day!!

Expand full comment
Claire Amritavani Brown's avatar

The sentence that stands out for me is you're allowed to take breaks from what you get paid for.

Expand full comment
Claire Amritavani Brown's avatar

Well from your dreams is what you wrote so Freudian slip on my part

Expand full comment
Alix Klingenberg's avatar

So amazing how we read what we need to read into things, huh! ❤️❤️

Expand full comment
The Sawyer's Daughter's avatar

Per your recommendation, I just finished A Psalm for the Wild-Built which I finished in a day and a half. What a delightful read!

Yesterday, I'd decided early morning, that I needed to take a break from all reading & writing that's been a part of my daily routine for pretty much forever, as I'd found myself self-committed to a number of daily prompts and journaling and writings. Brain overload! Instead, I devoted my day to wrapping up this wonderful little book (and pretty much nothing else) and it wasn't until I was almost done reading it, that I noticed the quote at the beginning of the book: 'for anybody who could use a break'. How very apropos!!

And now, your messages here in this post ~

- you're allowed to feel avoidant about the things you love. YES!!

- you're allowed to take breaks in the middle of your own dreams. YES!!

- you're allowed to build a life that works with your nervous system, not against it. YES!!

- you don't need to be fixed. YES, YES, YES!!!

And, indeed, 'you might just need to create more space between the logs'. Oh, my YES!!!

I'm holding on to all of this, not just now, but for future reference. Thanking you, Alix!!

Expand full comment
Alix Klingenberg's avatar

Ahhh, what a lovely comment to get this morning. I’m so glad your loved the book - her work is so deeply needed right now I think ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Expand full comment
L. Cohen's avatar

My husband cause me stubborn. But there are so little expectations put on my as an artist that it generally doesn’t show up in my creative world yet.

Expand full comment
Starling Roberts's avatar

My adult son has PDA(though not yet in the DSM, it should be!)and reading this post, I’m self-diagnosing. That avoidance/autonomy struggle is real! Thank you for naming it in the context of writing (as I avoid a looming deadline).

Expand full comment
Alix Klingenberg's avatar

So glad it resonates! Thanks for being here ❤️❤️

Expand full comment
Hannah Marcotti's avatar

Brilliant and yes, sneaking in!!

Expand full comment
Alix Klingenberg's avatar

I know you get it - I think the rebel tendency and PDA share a lot of overlap!

Expand full comment