76 Comments
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Tuğba Avci's avatar

I love Hemingway’s advice "write drunk, edit sober"

Let loose first, refine later 🫶🏼

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Florence Given's avatar

Omg love the name of your publication (and love this quote)

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Tuğba Avci's avatar

Thank you so much 🥰 Last year, every time I left a comment, it said, "Tuğba writes as slow as possible" 🐌 —I loved that! Silly Substack changed it now, though haha

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Florence Given's avatar

snail pace for everything babyyyyyy!

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Safia Messaoud's avatar

Omg. I get anxiety and cringe just taking space by existing anywhere, in a bar, in an event, even if I was INVITED… let alone posting anything!

Because NOBODY ASKED FOR IT and yet I dare to be there or TRY to make people see my art / post / whatever. 🤡🥲

I never realised it was this bad 😂😡 Gosh I need help.

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Leona Gem's avatar

Oh darling, you deserve to take all the space you need. You are worthy of it! 💅✨

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Mindfulness with Liss's avatar

I read this and immediately wrote my own first Substack article. I haven't written for fun in YEARS. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Florence Given's avatar

FUCK YESSSS let’s gooooo!!!!

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Samantha's avatar

I have stage managed and helped so many theatre shows in the past few years because I have a knack for those roles in production. But my heart burns for creation and performing. It is time for my ideas to be brought to light. No more waiting for someone to ask for my show.

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Florence Given's avatar

FUCK YES! Have you read ‘the artists way’? Julia Cameron calls this being a ‘shadow artist’ where you’re drawn to professions (or even partners!) that do the thing you want to create in! You just need to give yourself permission! 💥

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Samantha's avatar

Omg that resonates so much. I enjoy what I do because I love being involved in theatre. However, I know that I live for creating and performing, so I am always feeling like I am not letting myself be my fullest, brightest self who wants to shine through creation!

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Addena Sumter-Freitag's avatar

I did that. It’s so freeing and empowering. I got tired of people saying “but you’re so good at stage managing.” I thought , if nobody’s choosing me to play a role I know I’d be good in I will write my own stuff . I body can tell me I can’t perform my own work! …and I’ve been doing thst ever since.💥

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Not a Plain Jane's avatar

Some much needed encouragement to be bold! Love this. 💕

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Ayla Sophie Clark's avatar

It's wild to read something so poignantly timed for where I'm at in life! I have so much to say to the world and have always felt that, but I'm not sure what project I want to put that energy into right now.

I've gotten myself to the point of feeling worthy of creating (which is honestly iconic of me bah), but am unsure of where to start...I guess just with an idea.? Thank you Florence for bringing this to us all!

I appreciate all of us so much, we're all artists ready to explore our inner worlds (it's beautiful), so let's give ourselves permission to do so! I'm excited to see what we all create! xoxo

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Gabby Panos's avatar

“it’s only when you make yourself seen that a crowd of people can even gather around you” this GOT me omfg thank you for this essay florence you were right people do need it 🥹💓 and loved listening to it as well 🎧

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Molly Darling's avatar

Me starting my own Substack was audacious - Compost and Creation is where I am staging the writing process of my memoir - the story I need to tell because I know that other women need it. I need to talk about it. And as a visual artist, it can be challenging to also say I’m a writer, but why the fuck not?? I escaped a cult and an emotionally abusive marriage and I had the audacity to ask for more in my life, that’s a story that deserves to be told.

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Agata Mleko's avatar

i realised that often not sharing some of my artwork is related to the fear that i wont come up with a 'better' idea in the future.

but overtime i leap it comes - always something better is on the way, but first the old must die, creating space for the new <3

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Violet Carol's avatar

If I could like this twice I would 🩷

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Angela DeCroce's avatar

What a great piece to read first thing in the morning. Thank you for this. I had been creating alongside a group of artists for awhile and when that group went away I was left with just my own creativity. It was amazing being inspired by other peoples art but it also kept me from really exploring my own art because i didn’t find it good enough compared to others. Now I am creating in different mediums and finding what my heart is really bent towards. My substack is where I put my thoughts and it is ok if no ones reads or responds. It just needs to be out there. We used to have a prompt about permission slips and we would draw and paint them. This essay was an extension of that prompt and I am so grateful for you putting your art out there. Here’s to creating without permission!!!

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Julianna Rae's avatar

I just recently discovered you through a podcast interview and I feel like it’s at such a serendipitous time in my life. A few weeks ago, I just started a rigorous writing routine to finish my first book and now I’m 50,000/~~100,000 words. I just spent a year traveling and now I’m back home living with my mom. I thought I would be so depressed, but investing in my creative spirit has me SO ALIVE even in the New England winter. I can’t believe it honestly. Writing a novel feels like I’m just synthesizing my soul into words, and I feel so free!! This newsletter only has me more motivated, and your content continues to motivate me through this fun time in my life!!! 💓💓💓💓💓

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Florence Given's avatar

fuckYESSS!!!!!!

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Rhea James Fox's avatar

Omg slay xx

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The Hungry Romantic's avatar

Love your work & words Florence! Thank you for being you & expressing yourself in the world - what a gift!

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Anya Sokha's avatar

Big fat yes to every fucking word you said, Florence! Thank you!

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Rhonda Britten's avatar

God, I love you. And so needed this.

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Rana Kadry's avatar

This is sooo fucking good!! Thank you for writing this!

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