Creative Detour with Steal Like an Artist

When the Well Runs Dry

Lately, I’ve felt like I’m running out of steam. My body hasn’t been feeling great, and it’s been harder to get out and about. And when I can’t go outside, I run low on things to write about—so I start digging through old books and dusty memories, trying to find something to share.

It’s like the little spring of ideas inside me has started to dry up.

But maybe... that’s not a bad thing.
Maybe this is a quiet kind of invitation.

Not Quite What I Imagined

When I first started this blog, I had big dreams. I wanted to share inspiring stories every day, wrapped in my own playful, gentle illustrations, and bring joy to people all over the world. That hasn’t changed. Not at all.

But life shifts. Plans and rhythms evolve. And no matter how big my dreams are, my body and energy don’t always keep up the way I want them to.

Lately, I’ve been hearing this message again and again—from others, and from within:
"Slow down. Take care of yourself."

A New Kind of Creative Flow

For a long time, I spent my best hours pouring everything into this blog—writing, drawing, thinking, pushing. I was always trying to make something really good, something only I could create.

And I don’t regret that. But I’ve also realized… I can’t keep up that pace forever.
I tend to go all-in—once I start making something, I can’t stop until I’m fully satisfied. That’s just how I’m wired. Which also means: if I don’t allow myself to rest, I’ll eventually burn out.

And I don’t want that.
Because the most important thing—always—has been to keep Charlie Yellow going long-term, joyfully.

That means finding a rhythm that fits with any kind of day. Any kind of body. Any kind of life.

Now’s the Time to “Steal Like An Artist”

There’s a book I keep returning to—Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. I especially love this part:

“Nothing is original. What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.”

He also quotes Goethe:

“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”

In other words, filling up on the things you love—that’s what feeds creativity.

Letting Myself Soak

I used to scold myself. “If you have time to watch something, you should be drawing instead!” But right now, I’m choosing something different.

I’m giving myself permission. To soak in stories, movies, books, manga—without guilt. Because one day, all those things will become the bones and breath of what I create.

It’s a quiet kind of self-allowing. A whisper that says:
"Go on, take your time."

Softly, at My Own Pace

I’ll still be writing this blog. But maybe I won’t be posting illustrations as often as before.

Still, when something lovely bubbles up—something I just have to share—I’ll be here. Dropping it in gently, like a surprise stone in a still pond.