yuzu + edelweiss papercut collage illustration on white background

In This Post:

Small Pockets of Time Can Build Something Big
De-Value List Exercise
What Sustainable Creativity Actually Looks Like
Letting Go of Hustle Culture
If You Feel the Pull, Follow It

Small Pockets of Time Can Build Something Big

When my oldest was just an infant, I worked in my sketchbook during his naps.

Two years later, when my youngest was about six months old, I decided it was time to return to my dream of becoming an illustrator. So I started working nightly after bedtime.

Some nights, when the kids just wouldn’t go down or the baby monitor kept lighting up, I only had 15 or 20 minutes.

But I was devoted to my practice.

I trusted that eventually the seasons of life would shift, and I would have more time. Knowing that I was at least touching my practice daily — even if it was only morning pages — kept me aligned. And over time, that alignment became powerful.

In those early days, it was hard to accept slow progress (especially as an impatient Aries mama). But I kept asking myself: what’s the alternative?

Giving up because I couldn’t work as much as I wanted?

Waiting until my kids were grown to pursue my career again?

That was never going to happen.

I had to work with what I had. And what I learned during that season is this:

Over time, small, consistent efforts can take you places you never imagined.

The important part is simply to start.

Make art.

Everything else is figureoutable.

The “De-Value List”

One of the most helpful exercises I learned early in my creative practice was the concept of a De-Value List — an idea I first heard from Andy J. Pizza on his podcast. I don’t have the exact episode handy, but it stuck with me because it flipped how I think about values: sometimes it’s easier to identify what you don’t want more of (in your business, creativity, or life) before you can clearly see what you do want.

My De-Values:

hustle culture
workaholism
groupthink
rugged individualism
entitlement to access
toxic professionalism

Now flip those on their head…

My Values:

sustainable flow
aligned purpose
authentic individuality
community collaboration
respectful boundaries
holistic humanity

This list has become my North Star — especially after seasons of illness, parenting intensity, or burnout when I feel disconnected from my routines.

Because here’s the truth:

Even when you intellectually reject hustle culture, it can sneak back in.

That voice that says:

“If you don’t post daily, you’re failing.”

“If you rest, you’re falling behind.”

“If growth is slow, you’re doing it wrong.”

But rest isn’t lazy.

It’s restorative.

And sustainable growth will always outlast frantic productivity.

closeup yuzu + edelweiss papercut collage illustration with retro starburst details

What These Values Actually Look Like

It’s one thing to name your values. It’s another to embody them.

Here’s what mine look like in practice:

Sustainable Flow

I prioritize projects based on my natural rhythms — monthly, seasonally, hormonally, energetically.

Some seasons are for deep creation.

Some are for marketing.

Some are for tending the garden (literally and metaphorically).

I build in intentional space between work phases and fresh art-making. Balance isn’t accidental — it’s designed.

Aligned Purpose

I treat my creative energy as a gift, not a resource to be extracted.

I choose projects that leave space for rest, relationships, and self-care — even if that means slower growth.

There is no race. The rules are (mostly) made up.

You get to define success.

Authentic Individuality

This means celebrating neurodivergent ways of thinking.

Encouraging original ideas.

Building spaces where people feel safe expressing their identities and creativity without sanding down their edges to be “professional.”

Your brain isn’t broken. It just needs the right ecosystem.

Community Collaboration

Interdependence is a strength.

As Millennials, many of us were sold a version of success that looked like solitary grinding and hyper-independence. For those of us who survived abuse or instability, independence wasn’t just encouraged — it was survival.

Leaning into community can feel vulnerable.

But collective support creates healthier outcomes than solitary struggle ever could.

Respectful Boundaries

This one is non-negotiable.

My creative business runs on consent, clarity, and mutual respect. As success grows, so does access — and sometimes entitlement.

Boundaries protect your creative fire.

Clear communication.

Honoring limits.

Saying no without apology.

Holistic Humanity

We are not productivity machines.

I reject the idea that we must operate at peak performance at all times. Illness, caregiving, grief, joy — all of it belongs in a real human life.

Flexibility is strength.

Self-kindness is a strategy.

Pauses are part of the process.

closeup yuzu papercut collage illustration with retro starburst details

Letting Go of the Hustle Mentality

When I first began building my illustration business, I carried so much guilt.

If the kids were sick for weeks, I felt like I was failing before I’d even truly begun. I put intense pressure on myself to “make money from my art” — as if speed determined legitimacy.

But I had to reframe it.

Instead of obsessing over how much time I wasn’t spending on my art, I started celebrating the fact that I was building something sustainable. Something that could ebb and flow with my real life.

Trying to be productive every single day with little kids? That’s a fast track to burnout.

Sometimes you won’t touch your practice for a week.

Sometimes even a month.

The key isn’t constant output.

The key is always returning.

closeup of edelweiss and yuzu painted paper collage on a white background

If You Feel the Pull, Follow It

If you’re reading this and feeling the tug toward your own creative practice — the quiet voice saying “there’s something more” — listen to it.

Start small.

Start messy.

Start imperfect.

Just begin making art.

You don’t need the perfect schedule.

You don’t need unlimited time.

You don’t need permission.

You need consistency over intensity.

And you will figure the rest out.

yuzu + edelweiss papercut collage illustration — Yuzu + Edelweiss🍊🌿

Before you go, try making your own De-Value List.

What are you ready to release?
What kind of creative life are you actually building toward?

If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear one of your values in the comments.