Are you giving your creativity room to breath?

Deep breath in...

Mar 09, 2025

Every letter I share a story about my life in a way that you can hopefully relate to. I believe we are all here to share our journey, both the highs and the lows, as this is how we collectively raise the consciousness of this planet. If anything resonates with you, please share! 🙏

Welcome back friend!

When I go too long without writing here, I start to get antsy—or feel guilty about the new folks who’ve subscribed to this publication.

(Welcome to my newest paid subscriber—thank you, Sandra! 🙏)

I’ve been going through a super busy stretch recently. In the past, that would stress me out. So much to do, so little time!

Lately, I’ve been prioritizing self-care. Whether it’s 20 minutes of meditation in the morning, Spanish lessons on DuoLingo, or working on my DJ skills, I’m learning to carve out time for the things that bring me joy.

And writing? It’s something I’ve been consistent with—sort of. I’m actually on a 68-day streak of writing a daily marketing email. One of my new coaches challenged me, and it’s been a fun experience.

These are quick, story-based emails, usually around 200 words, that don’t get too deep. If you’re looking for some daily podcast inspiration, check it out here.

But this kind of writing? This is the harder kind. The kind that asks you to be vulnerable. The kind where you have to share what’s in your heart.

What I’ve come to realize over these past 54 years is that, as cliché as it sounds, it really is a journey. I’m learning to be kind to myself and focus on the 1% improvements I make daily.

The key is becoming more self-aware of the areas where I can grow. How do I become a better listener? How do I become more patient? Where am I repeating patterns year after year that I need to finally address?

All of this requires silence and space. It may seem obvious, but I know I need to make time to listen—whether that’s to my higher self, intuition, God, Spirit, or the Universe (choose the one that resonates for you).

And the funny thing? Creativity works the same way. It needs space, time, and flow.

Getting In The Flow

One thing I love about long work stretches is having a DJ set jamming in the background. It’s definitely my flow music.

And as tends to happen, I inevitably hear new tracks that catch my ear.

Call it my DJ ear. It’s one of my few musical superpowers—I can hear just a few bars of a track and immediately know if it belongs in a set.

Since I don’t play an instrument, the closest I come to creating music is curating it.

I’ve heard many, many DJ sets over last few decades (ha! that felt weird to type out). When done well, they create magic.

But I’ve also seen many fall flat—or worse, be so forgettable that I stop playing them a few minutes in. It’s a vibe for sure.

That’s why I take it seriously—curating a set that’s consistent from start to finish.

If you visit my SoundCloud page, you’ll find mixes going back 14+ years. It’s wild to look back.

And every year, I tell myself this is the year I’ll produce four mixes. You can probably do the math on how that’s panned out.

But I’ve learned to be gentle with myself. Sometimes life takes over, and years go by without me making a mix. Inevitably, though, the dance muse comes calling.

Once I start, it takes effort to get into the flow. As much as I’d love to record an hour-long set in one take, it rarely works that way. It typically takes weeks to curate the music.

Mostly, I have to record in chunks, then stitch them together into a rhythmic flow. Some additional mastering helps balance the sound. Then there’s the cover art and giving credit to all the producers. Once it’s ready, I upload it to SoundCloud.

Now that the creativity is flowing, I take it further—piecing together a collage of video snippets, merging them with the mix to create something visually engaging. I then upload that video to YouTube.

Once everything is live, I craft posts for SoundCloud, Instagram, X and Facebook. 😅 I know—it’s a lot. But when I’m promoting something I’m proud of, it feels effortless.

And that’s when it hit me—writing is the same way.

The Art of Creating (Anything)

I was reminded of this today by Erick Godsey. His recent post, "How I’ve Written an Article (Almost) Every Week for 10 Years," jostled something loose.

He shared this quote, and it stuck with me:

"Our beautiful broken world is full of gods with amnesia, souls disconnected from their dharma, who, if by chance or grace, catch a glimpse of someone honestly trying to wake up and help out, they remember."
There is a group of unique people on this planet who will respond to your shares.
These people need you.”

So if my words or my mixtape get you thinking (and moving), I’m smiling.

Harry ‘djhd’ Duran

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