Dear Artist,
If you’ve been overthinking, procrastinating, or “almost writing”, that’s not a character flaw.
That’s Resistance doing its job.
And today, we take our power back.
Resistance is an invisible force that will do whatever it can to keep you quiet, small, and unfinished, especially when you are close to something honest.
What You’ll Get From This Episode
* A clear definition of Resistance you can actually use in real life
* The 5 most common forms it takes (so you can spot it fast)
* The 3 things that give Resistance power
* A simple 3-step framework to diminish Resistance’s power
* A guided meditation to help you build courage and confidence to stand up to Resistance with integrity
* A writing exercise that turns all of this into action
The 5 Manifestations of Resistance
Most Resistance shows up as one of these:
* Perfectionism (“It needs to be right”, “I need to feel ready”, etc)
* Comparison (to others, or to your own past “peak”)
* Fear of rejection (sometimes disguised as “I don’t even want this”)
* Imposter syndrome (too old, too young, too late, who are you?)
* Victim mindset (legitimate pain that still becomes a creative prison)
The 3 Things That Give Resistance Power
* Invisibility: it convinces you it’s ‘just you’ or your intuition
* Isolation: it wants to be the only voice in the room
* Identity-shaping: it turns a moment into a label
“I’m an unfinisher.” “I’m not the type.” “I missed my chance.”
That last one is the most dangerous.
3 Practical Things You Can Do To Outsmart Resistance Every Time
Step 1: Name it.
Get specific: perfectionism, comparison, fear of rejection, imposter syndrome, victim mindset.
Step 2: Tell one human.
Out loud. With your voice. Not just in your notes app. You’re breaking the isolation spell.
Step 3: Keep the channel open with a tiny creative action.
A small post. A private draft. A paragraph. A voice note. Anything that proves resistance does not control you.
Writing Exercise: Outsmarting Resistance
Set a timer for 12 minutes. If you want extra depth, do 20 minutes.
1) Choose one creative thing you care about (1 minute)
Finish this sentence: “The thing I want to express right now is…”
Be concrete. A post. A poem. A personal story. A newsletter. A Substack note. A chapter. A pitch.
2) Identify the Manifestation (1 minute)
Circle one:
* Perfectionism
* Comparison
* Fear of rejection
* Imposter syndrome
* Victim mindset
Now finish this:
“The main way Resistance is showing up today is…”
3) Give Resistance a script (3 minutes)
Write this as fast as you can: “Resistance is trying to convince me that…”
Let it be dramatic. Let it be messy. Let it sound like the voice in your head. No censoring.
4) Separate truth from performance (3 minutes)
Now respond back. Calm. Clean. Grounded.
“Here’s what’s actually true…”
“Here’s what I can do anyway…”
“Even if I’m scared, I’m still allowed to…”
5) The tiny defiant step (2 minutes)
Resistance hates tiny creative steps because tiny steps work.
Finish this: “The smallest step I can take today to keep my creative channel open is…”
Make it almost laughably doable, because it’s so tiny.
Examples:
* write 3 sentences
* publish a short note
* open a draft and title it
* record a 60-second voice memo
* message one friend and admit you’re feeling Resistance
6) Break the isolation spell (2 minutes)
Copy/paste this and send it to one thoughtful and kind human:
Hi… I’m feeling a lot of Resistance today. I’m overthinking and starting to spiral a bit. Can you send me a “you’ve got this” or a dumb meme to keep me going?
Closing
Take a breath.
Resistance isn’t proof you’re failing. It’s proof you’re close.
Name it. Tell one human.Take the tiny step.
Choose one line from your writing exercise today and make it your anchor for the day. Then take the smallest action that proves you’re still in the game.
You got this!
Big love,
D
PS: Want Weekly Support?
If you’re done trying to “figure it out” alone, come write with us.
Writers Club = weekly live writing sessions + powerful writing prompts + guided meditation + workshops and community.
You’ll leave each week with fresh words on the page and the courage to share them.
PPS: Want Me In Your Corner For 12 Weeks?
We’ve sold out the first 3 cohorts of The Creative Sanctuary, and the January cohort is underway.
There are 3 spots left for the April cohort, and early-bird pricing ends March 1.
It’s 12 weeks of 1-on-1 coaching to help you build clarity, confidence and momentum to bring your creative project to life.
Whether it’s writing, launching a new offer, or your next creative chapter, we will build the consistency and courage to bring it to life.
If you want 2026 to be a breakout creative year, this is the container.
