There’s a special kind of magic in realizing someone has been inspired by you — especially when you absolutely weren’t expecting it. Today’s post comes with that little spark. The kind of spark that pops up when someone surprises you in the best way. It was inspired by someone who was inspired by me. (And trust me, I was just as surprised as anyone.)

Here’s how it happened.

A fellow creative, Angela, announced that she was launching her own newsletter. I messaged her immediately because I was genuinely excited for her — I love seeing creatives step into sharing their voice, especially when it’s something they’ve wanted to do for a long time.

And then she replied and said that my newsletters had inspired her to start.

I had a moment of, Wait… me?
Because if we’re being honest here, most of us create with a familiar whisper hanging around. That soft voice that never really leaves the room.

Enter Debbie Downer — sitting on your shoulder, swinging her little legs, whispering things like:
“No one’s reading this.”
“This isn’t helping anyone.”
“Why are you even doing this?”

She means well, in her own twisted little way, but she’s exhausting.

So when someone tells you that your words encouraged them, it nudges Debbie right off your shoulder and reminds you that the work you do — the work you sometimes doubt — is reaching farther than you think.

It feels a bit like walking past that forgotten corner of your creative life…
the one where a half-finished idea has been quietly waiting…
and suddenly the light hits it just right.
And you remember: Oh. I loved this. This mattered. There’s something here.

After Angela shared her first newsletter, I immediately read it — and then both of her blog posts — and I felt myself lighting up. Encouraged. Connected. Reminded that creativity isn’t a solo act, even when it feels like one.

It’s a web.
A ripple.
A quiet nudge from someone who doesn’t even realize they’re nudging you.

If you’d like to follow along with Angela’s writing (highly recommend — she’s thoughtful, grounded, and has a voice worth reading), you can sign up for her newsletter here:

Join Angela’s Newsletter

And because inspiration works in both directions, here are a few gentle questions I want to leave on your heart today:

✨ What ideas have you tucked into a corner, convinced no one would care?
✨ What project once lit you up but got lost in the shuffle of life?
✨ What part of your creativity are you dimming to make room for doubt?
✨ And who might you inspire — without even realizing it — if you brought that idea back into the light?

The beauty of being inspired by each other is that it brings us home to ourselves.
To the pieces we forget about.
To the dreams we shelve.
To the magic we overlook.

We don’t have to shout.
We don’t have to be perfect.
We don’t have to know where it’s all going.

We just have to share.

Here’s to the small nudges, the quiet reminders, and the people who unexpectedly spark something inside us — just by following their own path.