I am loving discovering you! I came across you in a LinkedIn community and the name of your Substack immediately pulled me in. Your posts speak so much to me as someone who is navigating burn out and recovering from overachieving to meet other people's standards and expectations. Thank you for these important reminders to return to joy and childhood pleasure and pursuits, and community.
These are such kind words. I appreciate you taking time to respond. Yeah, burnout is a lot to deal with. I am taking my time to recalibrate and reset my nervous system. As slow as possible ☀️
Aww, thank you so much! Your message truly made my day.
I’m really sorry to hear about your burnout. Another friend of mine is going through it right now, and another went through it two years ago—I was so shocked to see how fragile he looked. It’s heartbreaking that so many of us are being pushed to our limits, and I fear things will only get worse.
I really hope you can take the time you need to recover and feel better. Please take good care of yourself—nothing matters more than your health.
And I’m so happy to have you as part of my community here 💛
This is great. Totally reminds me why I love Substack writing as a kid I loved writing stories. I remember vividly as a young child writing my first poem "there was a puffin who was nuthin" .. that was it... well I drew a puffin too... I was so proud I remember it like 45 years on!! I'll share a link to your piece in my Sunday newsletter
That is amazing! I think I also love writing on Substack for similar reasons. I didn’t write stories when I was younger, but I read so many—I absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work. It truly means a lot!
I love this! I was drawn in by you posting on Notes about how the 8 hour work day makes us look for certain types of gratification. I had never thought of it like that and I find it so insightful. It explains how much is wrong with society. When I think about what I lived doing as a child, it involved a lot of reading, writing and making collages out of magazine cut outs.
I didn't know who you were and hadn't read your profile. The title sounded like the complaint of a vapid American Gen-Z-er, or possibly a parody of one. I clicked to see who would write such a silly thing and what their reasons were, expecting to dismiss and move on in a sentence or two.
But Substack is filled enough with interesting people and voices and different perspectives that one never knows. My curiosity was rewarded.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my message 🥰 I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. Out of curiosity, what were your expectations when you read the title? I wasn't sure if it aligned with what I had written after I hit publish. Anyway, thank you for your support!
Lovely piece and I think we can't say this enough, for all to finally believe it.
When I was a kid, I dreamed of creating the neighbourhood magazine. I wrote the first copy for it, my own texts and cut-out images also from other children's books. Then I pleaded with my father to write by hand multiple copies so I can give them to my friends. 😆 This was pre-xerox and pre-phones era of course.. my poor father...! The magazine didn't last long, but here I am again making online newsletters, my kind of "magazine", even as a grown-up.
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. Thank you so much, Monica, for taking the time to read and show your support! I had replied in your restack asking about the magazine, but maybe you missed it. This neighborhood magazine sounds amazing! How many issues did you have your dad write? I wish all neighborhoods had something like that! It's so creative! I would have never thought of doing something like that as a child. How old were you when you started?
We are the same age with @tugbaavci, and I can truly relate to their thoughts. I think for me the biggest reason for losing my inner child was that I went after a "real education, real job". But shortly after graduating, pushing that 9-2-5, I realized it wasn't for me. I've been a creative business owner for almost 14 years now. It's not fun & games every day, but for me, there is more fun and more play than I could've ever imagined. 🤩 It's never too late!!
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying—better late than never! I watched a documentary about artists' lives a while back, and it featured many artists who started their careers later in life. It's amazing that you were able to make the switch. I realize now that all these “real things” aren’t as real as we often think haha Of course, we still need money to live, but to suggest that our job is the only “real” thing is wrong. Thank you so much for taking the time to read 🫶🏼 Have a wonderful evening!
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. I agree Marina; I'm not even sure if anyone truly manages to fit in. It seems like those who appear to fit in eventually end up burning out. I have many examples of this at my workplace. Thank you so much for taking the time to read 🫶🏼
I wouldn't be suprised that you can pick up on my thoughts as you write your posts, haha. I pivoted my world around mid-twenties and followed my dreams to be a creative, first focused on writing, but it didn't take long before my illustrations wanted to take center stage, haha. While this pivot was the start to embrace my curiousity again, it also was a healing journey back to self. And one of the biggest lessons so far is that any creative endeavor can become chore if you are too focused on the outside world and you don't allow yourself to stay curious. It's why I burned out in recent years.
I just turned 39 and ever since this celebration, I've been feeling a whirlwind of emotions. Some days it swirls with excitement and curiousity, other days, I feel the anger and sadness for all the years I let the outside world influence my thoughts and actions in an unaligned way. But I'm glad to say that, more often than not, this anger fuels me to embrace my passions even more. I stumbled upon that same quote by Carl Jung yesterday as I was collecting quotes for a little project I'm working on and it's just perfect! 🥰 Thank you once again for this wonderful peek into your mind ❤
Thank you so much for sharing! It always feels so good when I read comments like these. I don't feel alone, and it reassures me when I think, "Am I too sensitive? Am I overthinking things?" Clearly, I'm not alone in these feelings.
“healing journey back to self” made my heart pound—it truly resonates with me. I had my second exhibition with my artist collective last week, and it went amazingly well! I can't believe how far I've come on my journey. I'm not just talking about the success; I'm referring to how much I’ve embraced and healed aspects of myself, allowing me to proudly share my art with the world. I'm still buzzing from the experience!
I do agree that creative work can also become a source of stress if we become too attached to it in an unhealthy way. I felt some of that this year with my writing. Luckily, I have an amazing therapist who helps me reflect on and gain awareness of these things. Thank you so much for your support! Huggg 🫶🏼
I’ve been traveling for the past three weeks, but I’m finally getting around to replying. I also felt so emotional while writing this! Sending you a hug 🥰 I love that you picked up your tools. Please draw, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. It will feel so good. Thank you for reading and for your support.
I was about to write this myself in my comment, but had to stop to send you some love ❤ While I did pick up my drawing tools mid-twenties, I let a lot of years still be influenced by so much noise and other people. Enjoy the journey getting back to self 😊✨🎨
This is great. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. When we are all so propagandised it’s empowering to hear voices reminding us we are living in a particular time and place with its own specific values. The way we’re living at this point isn’t based on some kind of ultimate universal law. We’ve just got ourselves into a mode and absorbed mutated values.
Wow Tuğba, your piece beautifully captures the bittersweet tug of childhood joys slipping through the cracks of adulthood. Reading it brought to mind an essay I wrote about a different kind of loss—not of time or creativity but of two brioche buns. Sounds trivial, but the lessons were eerily similar: that we live in a world constantly nudging us to let go of what makes us human in favor of what makes us “useful.”
The way you weave capitalism into this narrative is both sharp and resonant. It reminds me of something I’ve wrestled with—how the relentless drive for efficiency has a sneaky way of turning our simplest pleasures into guilty indulgences. Why do we let go so easily of the things that made the hours pass like minutes? Could the act of reclaiming play and curiosity be a quiet rebellion against a system that profits from our compliance?
Thank you for holding this space for reflection. You’ve made me wonder: how do you keep play alive while juggling the demands of adulthood? Or is it, as you suggest, more about unlearning than juggling?
Looking forward to hearing more about the exhibition and your artist collective—it feels like a testament to what happens when we refuse to let go of what nourishes our souls.
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I’m finally getting around to replying. Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
I want to print out the sentence, “that we live in a world constantly nudging us to let go of what makes us human in favor of what makes us ‘useful‘.” Wooow! It gave me goosebumps! I would love to read the brioche bun story. Could you please share it?
You raised a great question about how to incorporate more play into our lives. I believe there’s an underlying issue at play: it’s not just our jobs that wear us out, but also the distractions we face every day. My next post will focus on “attention,” and I think it connects nicely as an add-on to this topic. I still have so much more to say about it.
I've got to call my mom and ask her this question tomorrow... my memories are very vague from my childhood but I am curious what she will remember! Really interesting food for thought here - thank you Tuğba!
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. Did you ask your mum? I did the same when I first read this question, but my parents were quite vague in their answers. I’ve been reflecting on it since the pandemic, and I find that new memories keep popping up. Thank you for reading, Diana. Have a wonderful day 🥰
This piece really resonated with me, especially the part about how societal expectations can stifle our inner child. It's like we fall into this "should" trap - we "should" act a certain way, have a certain job, achieve certain milestones. But what if those "shoulds" are suffocating our true selves? It's a powerful reminder to question those expectations and rediscover what truly brings us joy.
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. I couldn't agree more. Our other good friend "should"—those "shoulds" are causing so much harm. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, Alexander. I really appreciate your support. I hope you have a wonderful start to your week 🖤
I am loving discovering you! I came across you in a LinkedIn community and the name of your Substack immediately pulled me in. Your posts speak so much to me as someone who is navigating burn out and recovering from overachieving to meet other people's standards and expectations. Thank you for these important reminders to return to joy and childhood pleasure and pursuits, and community.
These are such kind words. I appreciate you taking time to respond. Yeah, burnout is a lot to deal with. I am taking my time to recalibrate and reset my nervous system. As slow as possible ☀️
Aww, thank you so much! Your message truly made my day.
I’m really sorry to hear about your burnout. Another friend of mine is going through it right now, and another went through it two years ago—I was so shocked to see how fragile he looked. It’s heartbreaking that so many of us are being pushed to our limits, and I fear things will only get worse.
I really hope you can take the time you need to recover and feel better. Please take good care of yourself—nothing matters more than your health.
And I’m so happy to have you as part of my community here 💛
This is great. Totally reminds me why I love Substack writing as a kid I loved writing stories. I remember vividly as a young child writing my first poem "there was a puffin who was nuthin" .. that was it... well I drew a puffin too... I was so proud I remember it like 45 years on!! I'll share a link to your piece in my Sunday newsletter
That is amazing! I think I also love writing on Substack for similar reasons. I didn’t write stories when I was younger, but I read so many—I absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work. It truly means a lot!
You're very welcome
Beautifully expressed! It’s exactly how I feel but it’s like you’ve put words (and extremely appropriate quotes) to it. Following you 🙏
Thank you very much! I apologize for my late reply. I truly appreciate your support.
I love this! I was drawn in by you posting on Notes about how the 8 hour work day makes us look for certain types of gratification. I had never thought of it like that and I find it so insightful. It explains how much is wrong with society. When I think about what I lived doing as a child, it involved a lot of reading, writing and making collages out of magazine cut outs.
Wow. Not what I expected.
I didn't know who you were and hadn't read your profile. The title sounded like the complaint of a vapid American Gen-Z-er, or possibly a parody of one. I clicked to see who would write such a silly thing and what their reasons were, expecting to dismiss and move on in a sentence or two.
But Substack is filled enough with interesting people and voices and different perspectives that one never knows. My curiosity was rewarded.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my message 🥰 I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. Out of curiosity, what were your expectations when you read the title? I wasn't sure if it aligned with what I had written after I hit publish. Anyway, thank you for your support!
Lovely piece and I think we can't say this enough, for all to finally believe it.
When I was a kid, I dreamed of creating the neighbourhood magazine. I wrote the first copy for it, my own texts and cut-out images also from other children's books. Then I pleaded with my father to write by hand multiple copies so I can give them to my friends. 😆 This was pre-xerox and pre-phones era of course.. my poor father...! The magazine didn't last long, but here I am again making online newsletters, my kind of "magazine", even as a grown-up.
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. Thank you so much, Monica, for taking the time to read and show your support! I had replied in your restack asking about the magazine, but maybe you missed it. This neighborhood magazine sounds amazing! How many issues did you have your dad write? I wish all neighborhoods had something like that! It's so creative! I would have never thought of doing something like that as a child. How old were you when you started?
Love this, good writing!!
Finally getting around to replying; I was traveling. Thank you so much, Lisa, for taking the time to read 🫶🏼
We are the same age with @tugbaavci, and I can truly relate to their thoughts. I think for me the biggest reason for losing my inner child was that I went after a "real education, real job". But shortly after graduating, pushing that 9-2-5, I realized it wasn't for me. I've been a creative business owner for almost 14 years now. It's not fun & games every day, but for me, there is more fun and more play than I could've ever imagined. 🤩 It's never too late!!
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying—better late than never! I watched a documentary about artists' lives a while back, and it featured many artists who started their careers later in life. It's amazing that you were able to make the switch. I realize now that all these “real things” aren’t as real as we often think haha Of course, we still need money to live, but to suggest that our job is the only “real” thing is wrong. Thank you so much for taking the time to read 🫶🏼 Have a wonderful evening!
Thank you for this. Is not easy for some of us to fit in this push push push world 🥲🤍
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. I agree Marina; I'm not even sure if anyone truly manages to fit in. It seems like those who appear to fit in eventually end up burning out. I have many examples of this at my workplace. Thank you so much for taking the time to read 🫶🏼
I wouldn't be suprised that you can pick up on my thoughts as you write your posts, haha. I pivoted my world around mid-twenties and followed my dreams to be a creative, first focused on writing, but it didn't take long before my illustrations wanted to take center stage, haha. While this pivot was the start to embrace my curiousity again, it also was a healing journey back to self. And one of the biggest lessons so far is that any creative endeavor can become chore if you are too focused on the outside world and you don't allow yourself to stay curious. It's why I burned out in recent years.
I just turned 39 and ever since this celebration, I've been feeling a whirlwind of emotions. Some days it swirls with excitement and curiousity, other days, I feel the anger and sadness for all the years I let the outside world influence my thoughts and actions in an unaligned way. But I'm glad to say that, more often than not, this anger fuels me to embrace my passions even more. I stumbled upon that same quote by Carl Jung yesterday as I was collecting quotes for a little project I'm working on and it's just perfect! 🥰 Thank you once again for this wonderful peek into your mind ❤
Thank you so much for sharing! It always feels so good when I read comments like these. I don't feel alone, and it reassures me when I think, "Am I too sensitive? Am I overthinking things?" Clearly, I'm not alone in these feelings.
“healing journey back to self” made my heart pound—it truly resonates with me. I had my second exhibition with my artist collective last week, and it went amazingly well! I can't believe how far I've come on my journey. I'm not just talking about the success; I'm referring to how much I’ve embraced and healed aspects of myself, allowing me to proudly share my art with the world. I'm still buzzing from the experience!
I do agree that creative work can also become a source of stress if we become too attached to it in an unhealthy way. I felt some of that this year with my writing. Luckily, I have an amazing therapist who helps me reflect on and gain awareness of these things. Thank you so much for your support! Huggg 🫶🏼
Why am I tearing up reading this? I have picked up my drawing tools after many decades of not drawing. Thanks for the post. Great read.
I’ve been traveling for the past three weeks, but I’m finally getting around to replying. I also felt so emotional while writing this! Sending you a hug 🥰 I love that you picked up your tools. Please draw, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. It will feel so good. Thank you for reading and for your support.
I was about to write this myself in my comment, but had to stop to send you some love ❤ While I did pick up my drawing tools mid-twenties, I let a lot of years still be influenced by so much noise and other people. Enjoy the journey getting back to self 😊✨🎨
Aww, I love all this love in the comments 🥰 One big love from me, too!
This is great. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. When we are all so propagandised it’s empowering to hear voices reminding us we are living in a particular time and place with its own specific values. The way we’re living at this point isn’t based on some kind of ultimate universal law. We’ve just got ourselves into a mode and absorbed mutated values.
I’ve been travelling for the past three weeks, but I’m finally getting around to replying. Absolutely. Agree! Thank you so much for reading 🖤
Wow Tuğba, your piece beautifully captures the bittersweet tug of childhood joys slipping through the cracks of adulthood. Reading it brought to mind an essay I wrote about a different kind of loss—not of time or creativity but of two brioche buns. Sounds trivial, but the lessons were eerily similar: that we live in a world constantly nudging us to let go of what makes us human in favor of what makes us “useful.”
The way you weave capitalism into this narrative is both sharp and resonant. It reminds me of something I’ve wrestled with—how the relentless drive for efficiency has a sneaky way of turning our simplest pleasures into guilty indulgences. Why do we let go so easily of the things that made the hours pass like minutes? Could the act of reclaiming play and curiosity be a quiet rebellion against a system that profits from our compliance?
Thank you for holding this space for reflection. You’ve made me wonder: how do you keep play alive while juggling the demands of adulthood? Or is it, as you suggest, more about unlearning than juggling?
Looking forward to hearing more about the exhibition and your artist collective—it feels like a testament to what happens when we refuse to let go of what nourishes our souls.
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I’m finally getting around to replying. Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
I want to print out the sentence, “that we live in a world constantly nudging us to let go of what makes us human in favor of what makes us ‘useful‘.” Wooow! It gave me goosebumps! I would love to read the brioche bun story. Could you please share it?
You raised a great question about how to incorporate more play into our lives. I believe there’s an underlying issue at play: it’s not just our jobs that wear us out, but also the distractions we face every day. My next post will focus on “attention,” and I think it connects nicely as an add-on to this topic. I still have so much more to say about it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read 🖤
Gorgeous quotes and great thinking exercise! :)
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. Thank you so much for reading Barbs 🥰
How was your trip? :)
I've got to call my mom and ask her this question tomorrow... my memories are very vague from my childhood but I am curious what she will remember! Really interesting food for thought here - thank you Tuğba!
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. Did you ask your mum? I did the same when I first read this question, but my parents were quite vague in their answers. I’ve been reflecting on it since the pandemic, and I find that new memories keep popping up. Thank you for reading, Diana. Have a wonderful day 🥰
This piece really resonated with me, especially the part about how societal expectations can stifle our inner child. It's like we fall into this "should" trap - we "should" act a certain way, have a certain job, achieve certain milestones. But what if those "shoulds" are suffocating our true selves? It's a powerful reminder to question those expectations and rediscover what truly brings us joy.
I've been traveling for the past three weeks, but I'm finally getting around to replying. I couldn't agree more. Our other good friend "should"—those "shoulds" are causing so much harm. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, Alexander. I really appreciate your support. I hope you have a wonderful start to your week 🖤