In this conversation, Mary shares stories from her youth and young adulthood, moments of finding creative expression in unexpected places, how she pivoted between many careers including social work and film production (all of which involved being close to the stories of ordinary people), the journey to reversing traditional metrics of success, the serendipitous gift of curating a community that celebrates the multitudes of grief (often in a humorous way), and exciting new projects (spoiler alert: Mary’s writing a book!).

In fact, the second I logged off the event, messages immediately poured in about how inspiring it was to hear Mary’s life story and the beginnings of Tips from Dead People.

5 Takeaways from Our Conversation

If you’re a paid subscriber, feel free to go straight to our full conversation by clicking the video above. Or, you can browse below for the topics that stayed with me the most.

1. Ordinary lives are worth documenting.

Many of us fall into the trap of thinking that someone’s life (or our own) needs to be impressive, visibly eventful, grand, or otherwise traditionally accomplished to matter (or to be recognized).

Read more

Morgan’s passion is helping women find joy and light in life. With over a decade of experience in small businesses, non-profits, and at Microsoft, she drew on her background, including being an athlete and parent, to create the Light 56 framework. This approach creates personalized habits that stick, unlocks motivation, and adds fun through unique challenges.

A top speaker at Microsoft Inspire, Morgan now shares her insights at events and on podcasts, covering topics like Redefining Success, Living Lightly, and Ditching Perfectionism. She also founded Light 56 Circle, a community for women who tackle hard things in a light and feminine way! Light 56 aside, you can find Morgan wakesurfing behind a boat, creating something with her son, or in the mountains with her husband training for her next endurance hike.

Today, we have the absolute pleasure of featuring Morgan as a guest contributor! So, I’ll pass it off to her…

Hi Tomatokind readers!

For a long time I thought the goal in life was to be happy and successful, and the way to get there was through self-discipline and doing more to prove my worth. After struggling with secondary infertility, studying how high performers approach rest, and diving into positive psychology, I kept arriving at the same question: what if there’s a lighter way? A way that prioritized my favorite things, focused on progress not perfection and could work for the hardest things as well as the most joyful ones.

Since 2017, I’ve been obsessed with feeling lighter in my life. Not lighter in my body or minimalist in my home but feeling light. Similar to when you take the weighted vest off after a long walk or open a beautiful hotel room on vacation. I wanted to feel more of that!

Can you describe when life feels light for you?

If not, you’re not alone! 💛

It’s unique to each person and often shifts with the season. In winter I’m all about feeling cozy, being steady, feeling wise and rested versus in the summer when I want to feel sparkly, playful, connected and fully alive.

What it means to feel “light”

Many of us don’t have the words to articulate it yet. But “light” is becoming a new kind of goal, moving away from happy or perfect toward something that helps you feel more like your favorite self and something that feels possible even when things are tough, dark or out of our control.

The word “light” is showing up more and more in conversations, captions, and communities because it’s still possible, even when everything else feels heavy.

To help you find the words, I created the Feeling Light Wheel. It has six categories that capture what feeling light most commonly looks and feels like.

Based on years of conversations with women, research in positive psychology, spending time with kids who instinctively know their favorite things and getting curious about the words people use when they talk about what lights them up, I found 6 main categories to describe feeling light: joy, gratitude, progress, confidence, calm or anchored and feeling bright or fully alive.

I believe knowing what feeling light means to you can become your Why.

Read more

One of the most difficult things about being a creative business owner is all the decisions I have to make every single day: what to start, stop, continue, tweak, spend time on, don’t spend time on…

I get overwhelmed because I feel the pressure to both ask the right questions and have the correct answer.

Previously, in my corporate job, I always felt there was someone to consult for a second opinion: a boss, a teammate, a mentor. But, on my own, it feels different and much harder.

Earlier today, I tuned in to a conversation with and . They talked about what it’s like to share unfinished/ unpublished excerpts of their book manuscripts with their communities: the emotions that come with it, but also the benefits of listening to what resonates (and what doesn’t).

Their conversation made me remember that, for a while now, I’ve been wanting to get your feedback on this publication, community, and the experiences I’ve been hosting:

• What’s been awesome?

• What could be more awesome?

I started a lot of new things this year, from the community chat (come join this week’s thread!) to substack live interviews, monthly community coffee chats, guest articles, and going virtual with our Possibilities Club workshop.

So, I’d love to hear what you think!

If you’ve resonated with anything I’ve created (or if you’re new and want to help shape this space), please take 60 seconds to share your thoughts in the brief survey below. It would truly mean a lot. 🙏

TK Spring Check-In!

Now, to catch you up on the latest…

Recent Happenings

First, I’m feeling really grateful that a lot of new humans have joined this community in the past month. Maybe we met at the panel I spoke at Adobe. Or, perhaps we chatted at a Creative Mornings event, a virtual meetup, a Local Economy gathering, or somewhere else in the wild.

Wherever we may have connected, here’s a little summary of how to plug in!

Our Weekly Community Thread

Every Wednesday, I post a thread on our Tomatokind subscriber chat that invites candid shares about your creative multitudes, projects you’re working on, daily rituals, book/podcast/ small business recommendations, creative blockers/ dilemmas, community resources and offerings, and sometimes just something silly.

For those new to Substack, community chats are exclusive conversation spaces for subscribers of a specific Substack publication. For ours, think of it as a casual chatroom where you can hang out with other multi-passionate creatives.

This week (as it is a new month), I’m asking everyone to re-introduce themselves. So, come say hi and let the community know who you are!

Join the chat!

Possibilities Club

Possibilities Club is our signature workshop, combining improv and visioning exercises to invite your most limitless self to the table to pursue those creative projects and life dreams that have been collecting dust in your notes app.

We’ve run Possibilities Club both in-person and virtual, and each format comes with its own magic! Our next one is virtual and its on June 24th from 5:30-6:30 PST. Open to paid subscribers only!

Subscribe now

Live Interviews

If you’ve been here since the beginning, you’ve probably thought at some point: “Is Vanessa still interviewing small-business owners, artisans, storytellers, and brick-and-mortar shopowners?”

The answer is: yes.

Previously, we featured editorial interviews with creatives around the world every single month, but have been pausing to re-imagine what type of conversations to reserve for our podcast (launching later this year) versus here on Substack.

Just another one of those creative decisions that don’t mean much to you, but that I’ve spent endless hours racking my brain about…

Good news…starting this month, interviews are coming to you as live events on Substack! Because, as much as I love sharing stories of others’ journeys in my editorial voice, there’s just nothing like hearing about someone’s experiences in their own words.

June 12: Live Conversation with Mary McGreevy (12pm PST)

Mary McGreevy (creator of the viral account Tips from Dead People) will be joining us for a live conversation (June 12, 12-1pm PST). Mary will share the stories and people that make up who she is, the unexpected journey of how sharing her lifelong fascination with obituaries with the internet nearly broke it, and her latest endeavor: writing a book.

I want to attend!

June 16: Live Conversation with Krystal Lauk (12pm PST)

Next, we’ll be chatting with Krystal Lauk, a creative leader, curator, and artist based in San Francisco. In 2025, Krystal founded Pissed Off Moms (POM), an art collective and gathering series for women reclaiming their creative authority. POM is part exhibition, part ritual, part rallying cry; a space where mothers and makers to come to remember who they are.

I want to attend!

IRL Events

I hear you. We need to be in-person!

Last week, I was invited to speak on a creative panel at Adobe’s SF office. And, the energy in the room was amazing. If we met there, you know. So, as summer arrives in the San Francisco Bay Area, you bet we’ll have some fun gatherings to attend! Stay tuned.

For now, mark your calendars for a Substackers Meetup I’m hosting with Sophie Davies, founder of CUPPA Culture, at one of my favorite community spaces: Local Economy (Oakland, CA) on June 20th from 2-4pm.

I want to attend!

Guest Contributors

While I’ve called Tomatokind a digital “magazine” since the beginning, it actually took me a while to invite guest writers. But, we are finally at that point!

Last month, fellow creative (composer, collaborative pianist, creative coach) guest-published a piece for us that was a huge hit!

This month, we’re having another gem of a guest writer: Morgan Jackson, founder of Light 56®, a community and accountability practice that supports women struggling to make time for themselves and feel lighter in their body, mind, space, and spirit. This feature will be open to paid subscribers only.

Subscribe now

Monthly Community Coffees

Community Coffee Chats are also a newer addition to our ecosystem. These are monthly candid Substack live conversations with members of the community.

In May, we invited Emery Tran and Prerana Gurubasavaraj to chat about how they navigate high-stress 9-5 jobs (as a designer and regulatory affairs manager, respectively) while simultaneously pursuing their creative dreams as storytellers, podcast hosts, and content creators.

In April, we had Melissa Rivera (of Nonprofit Curious), a coach for non-profit startups and social enterprises, and Keriann Bellamy, a copywriter and marketing strategist for wellness-focused practitioners and small-business owners. We chatted about all things creative entrepreneurship!

As for this month, we’re lining up two special guests and will be announcing a date and time for that conversation soon! Stay tuned.

And, with that, thank you so much for being here!

Please share some feedback to help me grow. It would mean the world.

TK Spring Check-In!

Ok, I’ll be in your inbox again soon :)

With gratitude and zeal for this creative life,

Vanessa

We talked about corporate career pivots and creative ones, noticing and healing from burnout, time management, facing the fear of being seen (by family, coworkers, and the internet), and what it looks like to redefine success for ourselves (as creatives who are also navigating 9-5 jobs).

5 Takeaways from Our Conversation

Community Coffee Chats is a casual conversation series with entrepreneurs, creatives, storytellers, and small-business owners in the Tomatokind community.

Here are our takeaways from our sit-down with Emery Tran, full-time designer and part-time podcast host, and Prerana Gurubasavaraj, full-time regulatory affairs manager and part-time content creator (Paid subscribers can go straight to the full conversation by clicking the video above):

1. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.

Because, life is meant to change you. Iteration is the process of becoming who you are today, and who you become tomorrow. You are allowed to evolve, and that includes: how you make money, how you share your talents, who you choose to spend time with, art you choose to create, and so forth.

You are meant to change, so don’t resist it. Your creative pursuits and 9-5 jobs are no different. Instead of beating yourself up about that recent pivot, consider welcoming what’s next!

2. There’s no such thing as “enough time” or “perfect routine”.

Yes, consistency is important, but listening to our intuition is even more important. While some part-time creatives have very regimented production schedules (filming short-form content on Tuesdays from 9-11pm) to navigate the constraints of their full-time jobs, that doesn’t work for everyone. Sometimes, it’s just what works this week, and that is perfectly fine. Remember, you’re pursuing your creative dreams because you want to, not because you have to. It’s supposed to be fun!

3. It’s your choice who and when to share your creativity with.

Because, creative expression is scary. Many of us wait years to share our creative sides with our family, 9-5 coworkers, or even friends. Because, our creative work is not just work. It is our identity, our world views, and our inner universe. The good part, though, is that we get to choose when and who we want to be brave with. Some of us have parents who are the staunchest supporters of our creative work. Others of us prefer to keep our creative expression far from our families. There’s no one right answer.

4. Chasing external success metrics will burn you out.

So, try shifting to measures that are more sustainable and authentic to you. For example, in lieu of focusing on “likes” on social media, ask yourself: “Am I proud of what I created?”, “Did this feel good to make?”, or “Did it resonate with even one person?”

The juggling act of pursuing multiple life-callings is hard enough. So, let’s not impose external metrics that are misaligned with our values. Instead, take a moment to reflect on your goals with each endeavor and redefine your own markers of accomplishment.

5. First and foremost, create the thing for you.

Here’s a challenge: create it for you first. Be selfish. Ignore “the market", and just let your creative expression guide your pen (or paintbrush or key strokes). It may be helpful to consider: “What if your creative work exists to satisfy you and only you? And, it just so happens to help or inspire others? What if your job was not to serve and provide?”

If the above was true, would you create differently?

You can now listen to our full conversation by clicking the video above. And…

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa Li

About Emery & Prerana:

Emery is a UX designer, community builder, and creator behind From Remey: A Voice Journal, a podcast and blog documenting her evolving career, creative pursuits, and life in transition. She began her career in the art world, working with internationally renowned artists including Betye Saar, as well as curators from institutions like LACMA and MoMA, before transitioning into design. Outside of her full-time work, she helps foster creative community in San Francisco through events, collaborations, and conversations that bring people together.

Prerana is a regulatory affairs manager who guides digital health products, including software and AI-powered tools to-market, safely and responsibly. She’s worked in the space since 2018 and sees it shaping the future of healthcare. Outside her 9-5, she’s the creator and storyteller behind @dessertdigestplus, a space documenting recipes, cultural traditions, beauty, and the everyday rhythms of life in Orange County. “It’s a creative outlet that’s grown alongside my career.” Prerana also works in real estate, guiding family and friends through one of the biggest decisions of their lives: buying or selling a home.

Read more

For context, my partner and I use dry-cleaning services once in a blue moon, so we end up trying a new spot every time. Thus, we know very little about dry-cleaning business norms.

Anyways, as I entered the shop earlier and apologized for being late (by 2 weeks) to pick up our items, I asked the staff, sheepishly: “So, how long do you typically keep items until? Do you…get rid of them after it’s been a while?”

I thought maybe I was so tardy to pick-up our items that they were at risk of being thrown out. So, I wanted to know what “deadline” to keep in mind next time.

“Oh, we keep items forever,” she replied. “Just last week, someone came to pick up a pair of socks from 2023.”

FROM 2023?? My mouth hung open, and stayed like that for a while.

WAIT, WHAT?! How is that even possible? How did they forget for that long? Then, manage to remember all this time later?

It was such a funny tidbit to me. So, I asked more questions, and soon, the woman pointed out a duvet cover that has been waiting to be picked up since 2021 and another one since her mother used to work there.

As I left the store, it got me thinking about all the things I’ve procrastinated on over the past days, months, and maybe even years. It may or may not be dry-cleaning, but I guess we all lose track of things we need (or just want) to do in life…one way or another.

Have you ever forgotten about something for a long time, then came back to it?

June Happenings

In the spirit of now, I want to share all the happenings we have lined up for you this month (before my procrastination takes over). In-person meetups, guest contributors, interviews, live events! 🌸🌼🌷

June 3: Community Coffee Chat with Emery Tran & Prerana Gurubasavaraj (Replay)

Last week, we invited fellow creatives Emery Tran and Prerana Gurubasavaraj to chat about how they navigate high-stress 9-5 jobs (as a designer and regulatory affairs manager, respectively) while simultaneously pursuing their creative dreams as storytellers and content creators.

We talked about corporate career pivots and creative ones, noticing and healing from burnout, time management and “doing it all”, facing the fear of being seen (by family, coworkers, and the internet), and what it looks like to redefine success for ourselves.

This replay is open to paid subscribers only.

June 9: ABC Framework with Morgan Jackson

We’re welcoming guest contributor Morgan Jackson to our Tiny Experiments column! Morgan a.k.a. one of my favorite people to hop on an impromptu FaceTime with has a certain glitter and zest for life that is oh-so-contagious.

Morgan is the founder of Light 56®, a community and accountability practice that supports women struggling to make time for themselves and feel lighter in their body, mind, space, and spirit. Influenced by Brene Brown, Dr. Michael Gervais, Dr. Daniel Siegel and other experts on mental health, positive parenting, and habit building, Morgan developed the ABC Framework (which is easy and kind) to help you make steady progress towards achieving your goals (big or small).

This feature is open to paid subscribers only.

Subscribe now

June 12: Live Conversation with Mary McGreevy (12pm PST)

It’s finally happening! (creator of the viral account Tips from Dead People) will be joining us for a live conversation (June 12, 12-1pm PST). Mary will share the stories and people that make up who she is, the unexpected journey of how sharing her lifelong fascination with obituaries with the internet nearly broke it, and her latest endeavor: writing a book.

Mary and I met at Altitude Summit 2025, and have been hoping on video calls every couple months since (plus: we’re co-hosting something special in Oakland this fall 🤫). We’ve shared tender moments about family, questioning spirals about life and career pivots, and just generally have the best time together. So, I can’t wait for you to tune in!

This Substack live event is open to the public. Paid subscribers will be invited to submit questions beforehand.

I want to attend!

June 16: Live Conversation with Krystal Lauk (12pm PST)

Next, we’ll be chatting with !

Krystal is a creative leader, curator, and artist based in San Francisco. I first met Krystal at one of my earliest Possibilities Club workshops in Berkeley, CA, and our parallel dream-building journeys have been blossoming aside each other ever since!

In 2025, Krystal founded Pissed Off Moms (POM), an art collective and gathering series for women reclaiming their creative authority. POM is part exhibition, part ritual, part rallying cry; a space where mothers and makers to come to remember who they are. I am beyond excited for Krystal to share her journey building POM with this community!

This Substack live event is open to the public. Paid subscribers will be invited to submit questions beforehand.

I want to attend!

June 20: Substackers Meetup with Co-host Sophie Davies (2-4pm PST in Oakland)

This one’s for the Bay Area writers who want to swap ideas, chat about all things “behind-the-scenes” of writing and growing a Substack, and be in community with others who are at all stages of the journey.

I’ll be co-hosting this event at Local Economy with Sophie Davies, founder of CUPPA Culture, a community-marketing consultancy helping female business-owners tell their stories and connect with their audiences through community events and editorial partnerships.

Whether you’re still developing your editorial voice, or actively growing a community on Substack, come join us for an informal supportive conversation! Don’t have a Substack yet? Come hear about others’ journeys and get your newbie questions answered :)

This in-person event is open to the public.

I want to attend!

June 24: Possibilities Club Workshop (5:30-6:30pm PST)

We’re back, baby (iykyk)! Join us for our monthly Possibilities Club workshop: a playful, expansive workshop for anyone pursuing a dream.

In this interactive and reflective hour, you'll:

• gain clarity in your squishy ambitions

• step into an expansive version of you

• have a heart-to-heart with your future-self

• and, give/ receive support from fellow multi-passionate creatives

This month's theme is: DARE!

So, ask yourself: What have you been avoiding? What feels scary but necessary for growth? Maybe you want to commit more boldly to something, and need to speak it into existence? Bring what's on your heart and mind, and let's explore what's possible!

This workshop is open to paid subscribers only.

Subscribe now

Read more

How is your month going? May-hem 🤪, or blooming vibes 🌸?

For me, I’ve been feeling a bit all over the place (like I’m balancing on one leg most of the time), but with grand pauses of gratitude for the abundance around me. Mostly, I’m just figuring things out!

Aren’t we all?

2 Events for my Creative 9-5-ers!

This month in the SF Bay Area has been so sunny: blue skies, searingly-hot concrete, blooming wildflowers, and beach days. In parallel, we’ve enjoyed bringing sunshine into this community in our own way.

May Possibilities Club (5/12) was a blast (take it from attendees Dan and Nicole)!

We’ve also been collaborating with fellow creatives, including pianist, composer, and creative coach , who shared her wisdom on “How to Come Back to Your Creative Self” in our publication last week. Her 8 questions for creative self-reflection were a huge hit. Check out the piece here!

The fun doesn’t end there, though. We have 2 more events in May, so come find us!

May 28: “Futures of Creativity” (Adobe SF)

Join for “Futures of Creativity,” a candid, evening panel exploring how multi-hyphenate creatives have navigated multi-passionate career paths, and how you might think differently about your own creative trajectory. Expect a chat about: pivots, entrepreneurship, non-linear career paths, design, creativity, and stories of personal identity and evolution.

This event is hosted by Service Design Network, Women in Innovation, & Adobe, and moderated by Emery Tran. And, my kick-ass co-panelists are: Kathy Wang, Tina Yip, and Gayatri Gaekwad!

Details:
📅 May 28 | 5:30–7:30pm PST
📍 Adobe San Francisco (601 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94103)
🎟️ RSVP here!

May 29: “Community Coffee Chat with Emery Tran and Prerana Gurubasavaraj” (Substack Live)

Come hang at our monthly Community Coffee Chat (casual conversations featuring members of this community)! This month, we are yapping about how to navigate a high-stress 9-5 job while simultaneously pursuing your creative dreams. How do we manage our time, define success on our own terms, avoid burnout, and find joy in it all?

Join me, Emery Tran, and Prerana Gurubasavaraj for a “messy middle” lunch-time conversation on how we navigate our 9-5 careers and our creative endeavors, especially when we love them both!

About my coffee chat guests:

Emery is a UX designer, community builder, and creator behind From Remey: A Voice Journal, a podcast and blog documenting her evolving career, creative pursuits, and life in transition. She began her career in the art world, working with internationally renowned artists including Betye Saar, as well as curators from institutions like LACMA and MoMA, before transitioning into design. Outside of her full-time work, she helps foster creative community in San Francisco through events, collaborations, and conversations that bring people together.

Prerana is a regulatory affairs manager who guides digital health products, including software and AI-powered tools to-market, safely and responsibly. She's worked in the space since 2018 and sees it shaping the future of healthcare. Outside her 9-5, she's the creator and storyteller behind @dessertdigestplus, a space documenting recipes, cultural traditions, beauty, and the everyday rhythms of life in Orange County. “It’s a creative outlet that's grown alongside my career.” Prerana also works in real estate, guiding family and friends through one of the biggest decisions of their lives: buying or selling a home.

Details:
📅 May 29 | 12:30–1pm PST
📍 Your Substack app or web browser
🎟️ Add the event to your calendar!

Alrighty, creative friends…hope to see y’all next week!

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa Li

P.S. Here are some reminders on how to make the most of this community!

• Join our subscribers-only community chat - Think of it as a friendly group chat to hang out with fellow multi-passionate creatives and converse about all things worth dreaming about. The chat has been live since January and folks have connected through sharing creative rituals, advice on business/life dilemmas, book recs, physical and digital resources, and also cat pics. 😺

• Check out our Creative Journey Library - People are always coming to us for book recs on how to design their life (a.k.a., how to do more art, ignite their creative joys, start a dream project, tap into their inspiration, live more fully), so…we’ve compiled a list! If you decide to dig into one of our recs, or have titles to add, we’d love to hear about it!

• Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn - We share daily creative and life tid-bits there, plus business musings. And, fun things like giveaways!

• Browse our Creative Spaces Map - This is our dynamic, open-source map of creative spaces, studios, and hideaways across North America. It is curated from our editorial adventures as well as reader submissions, and designed for you to get into the community and co-work, make stuff, and experience creative adventures! We have a ton of spaces in our backlog waiting to be added to the map, but please send us more (it might just be the kick in the booty we need!).

Rebecca Hass is a composer, collaborative pianist, educator, and creative coach in the San Francisco Bay Area whose dedicated to creative curiosity and joy. With a deep passion for Brazilian rhythms, Rebecca has been part of the Brazilian music scene in the Bay Area since 2019, and performs solo shows of her own compositions and arrangements, as well as with Som Dela, CWICO (Composing Women’s Improvising Creative Orchestra), and the Bay Area-based Women Composers Collective, which she co-founded.

Rebecca’s debut Brazilian album, Florescer (Bloom), was described as “a delightful 43 minutes of musical sunshine”, and her 2024 album of original piano music, Bright Little Worlds, is an imaginative collection in various styles: Brazilian, jazz, neo-classical, and more. Rebecca has also hosted the podcast Being a Whole Person, full of inspiration, encouragement, and tangible tips to help you self-compassionately grow your creative practice. She is always designing new practices for herself, her students, and her creative coaching clients.

Today, we have the absolute pleasure of featuring Rebecca as a guest contributor! So, I’ll pass it off to Rebecca…

Hello fellow creative people,

I hope that you are surviving the month of May-hem (at least that’s what it feels like to me)!

One of the worst things about being overly busy (whether by choice or not) is not having time to check in with yourself, and connect with your needs and desires. This can also mean feeling disconnected from creativity, especially if your chosen medium isn’t part of your job.

If I don’t play the piano for multiple days in a row (or have only obligatory practice and no time for my own projects), I start to feel crabby, purposeless, a less colorful version of myself, like an old faded photo. Can you relate?

When I look ahead to a more packed schedule, I feel my chest constricting, and unconsciously hold my breath. I know that I don’t have to (and can’t, that’s not how time works!) deal with all of those activities at once, so I tell myself to take a few deep breaths.

A few years ago in this situation, I asked myself why exactly I was feeling this way, and the answer I found: I was afraid I would lose my connection to myself, and thus, my creative self.

So, I opened a note on my phone and began writing, under the heading “How do I come back to myself?”

As I wrote, I also discovered that, when I’m too busy, a big unconscious stressor is the underlying feeling of not being good enough, like I have to prove myself to all of these different people. When I’m able to let go of that feeling and trust that I am indeed good enough and I can do the job, whatever it may be, I feel so much better.

But, if I don’t have the energy to provide that inner support for myself (in the form of creativity and otherwise), it could compound the stress, instead of allowing me to replenish myself. You need to commit to having a strong relationship with yourself in order to have a healthy relationship with your creativity.

But how do you actually DO that?

8 Questions to Come Back to My Creative Self

I strongly believe that, in order to get good answers, we have to ask good questions.

Here are some of the questions I ask myself:

1. How am I feeling right now? (a simple check-in, without judgment or a need to act on the feeling)

2. What exactly is making me feel overloaded? (people time, stimuli from scrolling/screen time, too many expectations, etc.)

3. What do I need to be reminded of during busy times?

4. What parts of me do I feel like I lose or “put away” when I’m too busy?

5. How can I infuse each activity with a little bit more of my best self?

6. Where can I find clarity (even if only briefly) when I’m tired and depleted?

7. How can I avoid feeling like I can’t relax or do anything pleasurable when there’s an activity coming up that requires me to be “on”?

8. How can I make it feel 10% easier? (or maybe only start with 1%?)

Asking one or more of these questions is a great self-compassion practice, in multiple ways:

• You’re treating yourself like you matter enough to make time for a check-in

• The answers bring clarity on how to take care of yourself better

• It’s an opportunity to practice talking to yourself kindly, tapping into the wisdom of your best self, who knows you’re doing your best).

Even Simpler Questions

If you’re burned out and the above questions are too much, try even simpler questions:

• What’s most important to me right now? Focusing on just one priority (which used to only be a singular word in olden times) is totally reasonable - you might have to be real with yourself that that’s all you can handle for a time.

• Is there anything I can stop doing for a little while? (Or permanently?!)

As I prepare to enter a busier season, I first think about where in my schedule I can make space for myself:

• Checking filters - What information or activities need to be filtered out right now, in order to give you more energy and time for your priorities?

For my work, right now, that means prioritizing piano practice and coaching client prep, and I will accept that other projects are going to take longer to finish or will get pushed back to summer. I try to…

1. Set a few simple schedule parameters: Consolidating client calls, lessons, meetings, and other activities that require me to be “on” so that there’s recovery time built into each week; Scheduling piano time on the calendar so it always has a place; Keeping a full weekend day open for me-time and quality time with my partner

2. Release the need to do things perfectly and fears of not being good enough / letting people down (or at least recognizing when it’s happening - that’s a victory!)

3. Allow for transition time between activities, especially when coming out of people time and into alone time (#introvertproblems)

It’s always so tempting to cram another task into that 15-30 minutes between things, but better to take a break and mentally get ready for the next activity. Once you’ve subtracted just a little bit, there’s hopefully a tiny bit more room to breathe (literally and figuratively!), and to be proactive rather than only reactive.

Small Rituals

I also have small rituals that can help me stay connected to myself.

I make sure that I have plenty of go-to rituals, self care practices, and plans for these busier times, so I don’t have to think too hard about it. When you’re overwhelmed, you often don’t have the mental space to figure out self care, it’s just hanging on in survival mode, so having an actual list can be a life-saver!

Some of my go-to practices are walks, taking a quiet moment away from screens to breathe (perhaps with a cat), doing a quick meditation using Insight Timer, or pulling a tarot or oracle card and reflecting on it.

Here are some other ritual ideas that I experiment with (because we don’t have to do self care “right”, we always get to experiment!):

• Energy sorting - Imagining returning others’ energy to them, and returning mine back to me. You can do this with whatever visual you prefer, like a bubble around you, cutting ropes attached to you, etc.

• Washing off negative feelings (like worries about what others are thinking) as you take a shower or wash your hands

• Grounding - Imagining myself as a strong pillar or a tree with healthy roots in the earth

• Having a chat with my best, wisest self to find out what I need (could be an older version of you giving advice to Current You)

So, if you’re heading into a busier season, being intentional is going to be most important - being proactive, rather than reactive, as much as you’re able to, so you have space for time for yourself, creativity, and whatever is most important to you!

You can also check out my PDF workbook Fuel Your Work With Compassionate Productivity for more help in this area.

I hope that these are helpful prompts for you next time you need to return home to yourself, and I’m wishing you ease and fortitude if this is also a difficult month for you!

What are your must-dos to keep yourself feeling better during a busy season?

-Rebecca

Note from Vanessa: Thank you, Rebecca, for this insightful guide on how to come back to one’s creative self. I am absolutely going to ponder on these in my journal tomorrow morning, and am most excited to recommit to creating a “transition between activities” and also to experiment with different types of energy sorting.

To immerse into Rebecca’s musical and creative world, check out her work here. With that, have a beautiful and creative rest of your month, friends!

Fun fact: I’ve been a pit orchestra violinist for 10+ years, and just wrapped up a lively and inspiring production of “Into the Woods”, a Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim (and book by James Lapine) intertwining multiple Brothers Grimm fairy tales into one.

The most special part? It was a youth production. Meaning: I got to immerse in the cathartic energy of youth experiencing the magic and transformation of live theater, some for the first time (aka lots of crying backstage iykyk).

What about you?

What’s making you feel lucky or energized lately? Close your eyes for a minute and visualize that gratitude ☺️

Another thing I’m feeling energized about is…our May Possibilities Club!

9 of you are already signed up, and I cannot wait. So, if you’re looking for a stress-free, uplifting, dreamy, and community-centered way to feel creative (maybe, this week is already feeling heavy?)…

Here’s your reminder to join me and other creative humans tomorrow, Tuesday May 12th, for Possibilities Club! Zoom registration below.

Because, if you’ve opted into this community, chances are: you’re into sparking more creative joy! And…

• Monthly LIVE workshops where you’re guided to step into your most limitless self and actually do the thing.

  We’ll dust off some of those ideas ad dreams (that are hiding in your notes app), step into your imagination, have a heart-to-heart with your future self, and give/receive support from fellow multi-passionate humans. Open to paid subscribers only.

• An aligned community of professionals who too feel the pressure to walk a linear life/ career path…but are finally reigniting their creative spark without starting over (and a 24/7 community chat to connect and co-create)

• Tiny stories, experiments, and tools from the journeys of fellow multi-passionate creatives (part-time and full-time artisans and storytellers)

• Early podcast drops + behind-the-scenes from our Possibilities Club Podcast (launching later this year!)

So, I invite you to make the most of this community. Register for tomorrow’s event below! Open to paid subscribers only.

I’ll see you then (and for a whole lineup of gatherings/musings this May).

Read more

• May 12: Possibilities Club Workshop (Live on Zoom, 12-1pm PST). Open to paid subscribers. Upgrade here to register.

• May 14: “How to Come Back to Your Creative Self” by (composer, pianist, creative coach). Open to all subscribers.

• May 19: “Concepts of Time: Personal & Cultural” by me (Vanessa Li). Open to paid subscribers.

• May 28: “Futures of Creativity” is an event I’ve been invited to participate as a panelist alongside 3 other SF-based creative women. It’ll be a candid conversation about design, creativity, and shaping our multi-passionate career paths. This event is hosted by Service Design Network, Women in Innovation, & Adobe, and it is open to the public. Register here.

• May 29: Community Coffee Chat with Prerana Mydur and Emery Tran. Community Coffee Chats are Substack Live events where we sit down with creatives in our community for a casual dialogue on what’s been on their hearts and minds. This specific event will explore the topic of how to navigate success in both one’s 9-5 job and creative endeavor, especially when they are equally loved and valued. Add the event to your calendar here.

That’s it for now (though, we’ll likely sprinkle in some surprises)! 😉

Don’t forget to check out our Tomatokind community chat where your fellow subscribers have been sharing resources, wins, and pitching collaborations. New threads drop every week!

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa

Have you ever had a creative crush?

What I mean is: have you ever gotten so hooked onto an idea that you couldn’t stop thinking about it?

Maybe it was an obsession with starting a hostel after months of solo travel and being inspired by other hostel owners (this was me last year). Or, the thought of spinning your dog’s hair into coats for other dogs, founding a walking-tour company in your hometown, or creating a stationary brand.

Yesterday, I caught up with a fellow creative and we got so giddy about our recent creative crushes: the ones we’ve lost so much sleep over.

We flailed our arms.

Cackled sheepishly.

Threw our heads back.

Squinted our eyes into the widest smiles.

And, stomped our feet like little toddlers.

We were so energized.

Because, that’s what happens when you have a crush!

It courses the most electric energy through your veins, and you just want to romanticize about it (and stalk it) every single minute of every day.

If you have too been crushing on something lately, or been yearning for this creative inertia, join us for Possibilities Club on May 12th from 12-1pm PST. Zoom registration below. Open to paid subscribers only.

In this interactive and reflective hour, you’ll:

• step into an expansive version of you

• dare to pursue projects that have been collecting dust in your notes app

• have a heart-to-heart with your future-self

• and, give/ receive support from fellow multi-passionate humans

And, this month’s them is PLAY!

So, ask yourself: What sounds fun? What are you curious about right now? Maybe you have an idea you’ve been obsessed with lately, or you’re just trying to tap back into your spark?

Some crushes develop into lifelong loves, and others fade with time. So, let’s not obsess over the end result. Let’s just bathe in the magic of this moment.

Bring what’s on your heart and mind, and let’s explore what’s possible!

Registration details below. Open to paid subscribers only.

Read more

Unlike our live workshops, this follow-along is a tool for you to ignite your creative spark at any point in your day or week, and move the needle just a little bit. You might be carving out “me time” before your toddlers wake up, or taking your lunch break on a park bench. Wherever you are…

Read more

As I mosey over to the antique armchair in my sunroom, having just finished my monthly therapy session and a hodgepodge lunch consisting of Chinese-styled potatoes and jammy sweet mustard from Germany (with a webinar in my ears), I’m thinking: I’m so excited to be back!

Wait, but where did you go?

I was out for a week, and spent it glued to my couch with a phlegm monster and stomach bug double-bunking inside of me, and my brain tossed in a salad of job-search busywork that left me feeling like I had barely escaped one of the evil forests in a Grimm’s fairy tale.

But, I’m back and eager to share all that’s been spinning in my mind and in this creative community!

→ If you’re here for your evergreen recording of Possibilities Club and not yet a paid subscriber, click here to upgrade your membership. We’ll be sending out the recording to all paid members tomorrow. To join Possibilities Club LIVE, save the date: May 12th 12-1pm PST.

🎶Haters Gunna Hate, Hate, Hate, Hate, Hate🎶

(Some of you who follow us on Instagram got a little peek last week).

It was 8 PM on Wednesday, April 15th: 15 hours before I was scheduled to run Possibilities Club live on Substack for the first time. I had a sore throat and felt a body of sickness brewing inside of me (I had aggressively popped Zicam all day, and was gargling salt water like it was an Olympic sport).

I grabbed my electric toothbrush, squeezed (too much) toothpaste onto it, and stood with my left hip popped out lazily to the side: callously brushing my teeth (sorry, dentist) and scrolling through my Instagram messages to see if any of them were about tomorrow’s workshop. I typically block social media apps outside 9am-6pm, but I made an exception that night.

As I went through my DMs, I opened a message from someone who was signed up for Possibilities Club (and had been dabbling in our world for about 6 months). Note: This person was not a “rando” on the internet. In fact, they were someone I met in-person first and who continued to connect with me sporadically over the next months. Maybe they just had a quick question?

I pressed play on their 6-minute-long voice note.

What came next was a vicious monologue berating me about (their interpretation of) my character, core values, how I showed up in the world and in their world, and how they “had enough” and wanted their money back for tomorrow’s workshop. I was dumbfounded. Not only was this message the last thing I expected, but it was impossible not to entertain their harsh accusations.

Did everyone in my community think this too? Was I really so toxic?

While I won’t recount the details of their message and my response (thanks to the steadfast support of my partner and “Shake it Off” by T-Swift)… I will share the 3 big lessons I learned:

1. It’s okay to be misunderstood. Not everyone gets to have the full me nor do I need to explain myself to everyone who demands a piece of me. I get to control the dial on how much of me someone gets. No doubt: it is uncomfortable to be misjudged by others (especially those I am inspired by or once desired a connection with), but it is much more important to protect my peace first.

2. I am not for everyone; and, everyone is not for me. My creative north star (or life path) does not and will not align with everyone else’s, and vice versa. So, while it might be disappointing to hear that someone thinks my value is not valuable to them, this feedback is actually a gift. It means that I am not simply molding to whoever crosses my path. Rather, I am being so uniquely me that people know exactly what they are opting in to (or out of). And, for a recovering people-pleaser like myself, this is a long-time coming.

3. When a hater comes at me, it’s probably not about me at all. This might be the most obvious takeaway, but I think it’s worth mentioning. Everyone is going through some mixture of shit in life and, though it’s never okay to weaponize these emotions onto others, it inevitably happens. So, when I receive hate like this, I try to remind myself that it’s probably a product of their current circumstances. And, no good will come from overthinking their words. Wish them well, and keep doing me.

At the end of the day, receiving feedback that “you’re not for me…like at all” is just as informative and valid as “you are exactly who I need.”

→ So, if you are here for the messy journey of building a multi-passionate creative business while juggling a non-linear career path (and tapping into as many dreams and creative joys as possible), WELCOME 🫶.

But, if not, no hard feelings! Please unsubscribe, and I wish you well in finding community on your own path.

🎶24-Karat Possibilities Club Magic in the Air🎶

Next up: your evergreen access to Possibilities Club + our next LIVE workshop…

First, I want to say: I am so freaking inspired by you all.

April 16th’s Possibilities Club was a precious reminder of this community’s collective gifts, dreams, talents, and journeys. Over the course of an hour, we dreamed our most limitless selves into existence, faced our demons, held our inner child’s hands, had heart-to-hearts with our future selves, and blossomed in community.

Here’s a couple messages I received right after the event:

If you missed this beautiful gathering, I’m happy to share that… (drum roll please)

1. An evergreen recording of Possibilities Club will be available to paid subscribers starting tomorrow. This means you’ll be able to follow-along the entire workshop from the comfort of your own home (or a park bench on your lunch break) and tap into a playful 4-phased creative flow to tap into your dreams and lay down some foundations for pursuing them.

2. We are going LIVE again on May 12th (12-1pm PST). As much as we love the flexibility of on-demand, there’s nothing like sharing energy with others in-real-time and a shared space. So, whether you missed last month’s live event or just can’t wait to come again to meet new creative humans and dive deeper into your dreams, we can’t wait to see you! Plus: we’re adding cool surprises and additions to the workshop (thanks to your all’s feedback!), and we can’t wait for you to experience 2.0 😉.

Note: all upcoming Possibilities Clubs will be hosted on Zoom instead of Substack Live. Why? Because I am trying to adapt this experience to be even more human and connective, and Substack Live just isn’t the best platform for this gathering right now. We’ll be sending updated sign-up details soon!

New to Possibilities Club? Learn more here.

Let’s Catch-Up

Lastly, here’s a quick catch-up on what I’ve been up to lately!→

• Community Coffee Chats are a hit! So, we have lots more of them coming your way. If you missed our first Community Coffee Chat featuring Keriann Bellamy and Melissa Rivera, you can listen to it here.

• The Possibilities Club Pod is loading! Our vision for this show is super immersive and intimate, so it’s taking a bit longer to iron out the production timeline. But, trust me: we will share more when we can (also, yes: I found an amazing editor/producer)!

• We’ve been IRL a lot (in the SF Bay Area)! While online spaces can feel so aligned, there’s nothing like being in the presence of texture: hugs, post-it notes, snacks, or a shared couch or window. Lately, we’ve been working at Local Economy, hosting weekly events with Tribe Social Club, and having tea/coffee with lots of creatives around town. Later this month, we’re also excited to speak at a panel co-hosted by Women in Innovation, Service Design Network, and Adobe that will touch on how my career as a service designer relates to my identity and path as a “multi-hyphenate creative and community-builder.” Any other service designers in here?

• Lastly, I’m writing a novel! Last time I shared about this was after my weekend getaway to the Tahoe Mountains. Since then, I’m disappointed to say…I haven’t written much. But, I’ve been absorbing different frameworks from writers in my world (shoutout !) and here are a couple: Save the Cat, a storytelling method devised by Hollywood screenwriter Blake Snyder, and Zettelkasten, a note-taking and writing system developed by sociologist Niklas Luhmann. Are you a writer with a recommendation for a writing philosophy or approach to experiment with? If so, I’m all ears!

That’s it for now. Look out for the evergreen recording of Possibilities Club in your inbox tomorrow (it will only be sent to paid members), and I wish you a beautiful rest of your week 🌻.

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa

That’s tomorrow: Thursday, April 16th from 12-1pm PST here on Substack! Click here to add the event to your calendar. For paid subscribers only. Join us anytime!

Alright friends, I am super energized that so many of you will be joining our first-ever virtual Possibilities Club, so I’m popping by to answer all your Qs!

Possibilities Club FAQs

What is it?

Possibilities Club is a monthly gathering that’s playful, interactive, and productive, where you:

• bring clarity to your squishy ambitions

• experiment with new ways of thinking about your current/ future self

• set aside your everyday identity and step into an open-minded, goofy, and expansive version of you

• create a roadmap that describes exactly where to focus your energy in the next 30, 60, 90 days

• and, give/receive support from this community

Click here to learn more about what folks have started in this space!

Where do I join?

The event will be hosted as a Substack Live event that you can join from your desktop OR Substack mobile app. Think of it as a mini-show/ demo! Here’s the link to join!

P.S. It’s my first time hosting this workshop on Substack, so bear with me as I work out the kinks! If it’s not the ideal platform going forward, we’re not married to it :)

Will I need to be on-camera/ talk? 😬

Unlike a Zoom meeting, you won’t be able to go on-camera or unmute yourself during the event. So, there’s no need to worry about having a bad hair day or being called on mid-sandwich bite!

However, you will be invited (and highly encouraged) to share your creative and reflective process and takeaways in the event chat throughout the session. Think of the chat as a cozy place to land between self-reflection prompts, and a place to get playful (maybe a little vulnerable?) and give/receive support from this community!

Do I need to bring anything?

Please come equipped with a notebook (or a few blank sheets of paper) and a writing utensil! Optional: your favorite beverage/snack.

That’s it! I can’t wait to witness you in all your creative flow, and for you to meet all the dreamy do-ers in this community starting/ building super cool stuff!

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa

Can’t make tomorrow’s event? We’re running Possibilities Club every single month (so you get the creative consistency you need to get those dreams into the world). Drop by for 1 or all 5! We promise you’ll get something new out of it each time. Sign up for the next two below!

• May Possibilities Club: PLAY 🙈 (12-1pm PST) ➡️ Click to add to your calendar

• June Possibilities Club: EXPAND 🌈 (5:30-6:30pm PST) ➡️ Click to add to your calendar

Two months ago, after decades of struggling with hormonal acne (and worsening to the point where I was considering harsh, prescription medications), a friend recommended I see an acne specialist named Elise May in San Francisco.

Elise’s unique differentiator (and what caught my eye immediately) was that she had founded a holistic practice called Skin Nutritious that focused on treating acne-prone skin using only natural, lifestyle, and nutritional approaches. Oh, have I been waiting to meet Elise…

Frankly, I didn’t even think this was possible: to holistically assuage the stubborn pattern of volcanic eruptions appearing unannounced on my face (which would then trigger my relentless Wack-a-Mole behaviors, inevitably leading to bloody finger tips and crusty scars). But, I should have known. I grew up in a household where herbal teas and food as medicine was the standard operating procedure. But, after years of living away from home, acclimating to a mostly Western diet, and being gradually influenced by more and more “quick fix” narratives, I had lost sight of nature’s healing powers. And, ultimately, had desensitized myself to my own intuition.

Why am I sharing this? Because, after my first 90 minutes with Elise at her office (a.k.a., a Victorian mansion a stone’s throw away from Japantown that had been converted into office space for a dozen or so wellness providers), I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and awe.

Elise had started this holistic acne practice after a long and arduous personal journey, and had alchemized her own trials and tribulations, learnings, and deep research and education into a practice that now helps so many individuals (like me) come back to themselves.

And, no, my hormonal acne did not go away immediately.

Elise gave me something so much more: she gave me tools to listen, observe, and respond to my body with care; she gave me education about my skin and biology I had never learned in school; and, she gave me the assurance that a slow, holistic approach to treating my decades-long acne was going to be much more lasting (and much more aligned with my lifestyle and life goals) than a pill I would have to take everyday.

More than anything, though, Elise inspired me that creating something (a practice, a business, a community movement, a community) out of something you are passionate about can be so life-changing for yourself and others.

I am not lying. I left Elise’s office feeling a profound sense of joy and admiration for small-businesses, creators, and any human who decides to lean into a calling and share it with the world, whether that be making candles that smell like one’s childhood home in the Philippines (like our friends at Mahal Scent) or dedicating one’s life to photographing love becuase it’s the most powerful thing in the world (like our inspiration Jasmin Schuler, who photographed our engagement and city hall wedding).

So, if you feel a deep calling to start something, let this be your sign.

➡️ Join us for our next Possibilities Club this Thursday, April 16th 12-1pm PST! Click here to add it to your calendar

What happens inside Possibilities Club? You’ll be guided to step into your most limitless self and actually do the thing, consistently, month after month.

It’s a playful, expansive workshop that will guide you to tap into your most limitless self (open to paid members only - upgrade here!). You’ll:

• bring clarity to your squishy ambitions

• experiment with new ways of thinking about your current/ future self

• set aside your everyday identity and step into an open-minded, goofy, and expansive version of you

• create a roadmap that describes exactly where to focus your energy in the next 30, 60, 90 days

• and, give/receive support from this community

Last year, when we ran Possibilities Club in-person (twice) in the San Francisco Bay Area:

• one person (who arrived feeling like they had no time/energy outside their 9-5 job for their personal creative ventures) ended up designing a daily practice to finally start a dream project: to direct a sci-fi short film;

• another person used the exercises to deeply examine the next chapter of her life, which consisted of big life transitions including sunsetting a multi-decade career supporting large tech clients to become a full-time fine artist;

• yet another creative outlined the stepping stones of pursuing their dream of designing and curating a museum to celebrate the Filipino heritage and diaspora

Want to learn more about how this community can help you spark your creative joy without the pressure of starting over? Learn about Possibilities Club and more here!

See you on Thursday! We can’t wait to witness what’s possible! :)

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa Li

Once I got over my nerves (watch me ask Keriann to repeat herself 🙈), the three of us sunk into a vulnerable and honest conversation about what this season of business and building our dreams looks like.

7 Takeaways from Our Conversation

Community Coffee Chats are a casual conversation series with entrepreneurs, creatives, storytellers, and small-business owners in the Tomatokind community. Here are our takeaways from our conversation with Melissa and Keriann (paid subscribers can go straight to the full conversation by clicking the video above):

1. Move the goalpost closer.

Sometimes, the reason you’re stuck isn’t because you’re lacking motivation. It’s because the finish line feels impossibly far away. When you bring the goal closer, you create momentum (which builds self-belief). If you think about it, small wins are actually BIG WINS because they can be the reason you keep going at all.

2. Build as you go.

You don’t need a fully formed plan to begin. The path will reveals itself when you start putting things in motion, and there’s no amount of waiting that is going to make things perfect. For me, building Tomatokind has certainly been messy and imperfect every step of the way (just look at how we initially sent the wrong event time for this event!). Starting messy might be the only way to start.

3. Your vulnerability is a strength.

Communicating how you actually operate (your needs, constraints, and even personal challenges) can create more ease and alignment in your collaborations with others (whether that be clients, business partners, or your audience). When you let go of the need to “have it all together,” you open the door to honest co-creation (and it might even invite others to show up more fully too).

4. Listen closely.

The things you’re best at rarely feel extraordinary to you. Because, they’re just part of who you are! But, if you listen closely to the people around you (whom you trust, respect, and are frequently around), it is likely they are constantly reflecting back to you what they see your strengths are. So, tune into what your community comes to you for (maybe it’s advice, support, or a skill). Take note of these. Because, they might be pointing you toward your next step.

Read more

Today, I’m writing to you from Local Economy, a community-gathering and co-working space in Oakland, CA founded by local writers Sarah Rich and Alexis Madrigal. Fresh-ground coffee is wafting through the air from Painted Leopard and it’s a vibe (and I’m not even a coffee person).

Anyways…we’re keeping it short and sweet today!

• Friday, 4/10 (TOMORROW) at 11am PST, join us for a free-flowing “Community Coffee Chat” (Substack Live) featuring two members of this community (click here to join!):

  • Melissa Rivera works with nonprofit startups and social enterprises to support early stage compliance with templates, coaching and consults! Her heart is to support more people who want to make their corner of the world a better place.

  • Keriann Bellamy is a content strategist, copywriter, and certified Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) health coach with a passion for storytelling. She believes great content is about building relationships, and effective messaging always wins over ever-changing algorithms.

• Now through 4/15 (NEXT WED), we’re running our first-ever GIVEAWAY on Instagram (soooo many creative goodies… basically, a creative upgrade worth $100+)! Enter here!

• Thursday, 4/16 at 12pm PST, DON’T MISS our first Possibilities Club of the year! It’s a playful, expansive workshop that will guide you to tap into your most limitless self (open to paid members only - upgrade here!). You’ll:

  • bring clarity to your squishy ambitions

  • experiment with new ways of thinking about your current/ future self

  • set aside your everyday identity and step into an open-minded, goofy, and expansive version of you

  • create a roadmap that describes exactly where to focus your energy in the next 30, 60, 90 days

  • and, give/receive support from this community

And…that’s mostly it! Juuusttt in case you haven’t taken advantage of this community recently, here are some quick reminders on what you have access to always:

• 24/7 Community Chat where full- and part-time creatives are connecting, collaborating, and giving/ receiving support!

• Creative Spaces Map: a living, community-built map of creative spaces, studios, and hideaways — curated from our editorial adventures at Tomatokind Magazine and reader submissions (think of it as “Yelp” for creatives filled with co-ops and collectives, artist co-working spaces, creative services, gathering places, and creative event venues around the world - updated every quarter!). Explore here!

• Tomatokind’s Creative Journey Library: A thoughtfully curated collection of books that inspire creativity, deepen reflection, and nourish the spirit — titles that help ground our approach to a creative life, and that we dog-ear and return to often. Click here for all the recs!

With zest and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa Li

What are Community Coffee Chats?

These are casual Substack Live conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, storytellers, and small-business owners in the Tomatokind community. They’re not interviews, but rather an open dialogue about what’s on our minds this season/ month/ day of our creative journeys.

Think of it as a virtual water cooler: we’ll yap about topics that are relevant and resonant, and come out feeling a little more seen and supported. If you’d like to join me in a future conversation, reply here to let me know!

This Friday, I’m excited to be joined by Melissa Rivera and Keriann Bellamy.

Melissa Rivera works with nonprofit startups and social enterprises to support early stage compliance with templates, coaching and consults! Her heart is to support more people who want to make their corner of the world a better place. “I want it to be EASY for people to do more GOOD!” - Melissa. Follow Melissa’s Substack publication called Nonprofit Curious, and learn more about her work at www.pursuitofpurposeconsulting.com.

Keriann Bellamy is a content strategist, copywriter, and certified Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) health coach with a passion for storytelling. She believes great content is about building relationships, and effective messaging always wins over ever-changing algorithms. When she’s not crafting compelling content for her clients, you can find her hiking with her border collie, or getting lost in her latest romantasy read. Learn more about Keriann’s work at www.kerianncopywriting.com.

We can’t wait to see you at Friday’s community coffee chat!

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa Li 🫶

🙋🏻‍♀️ Raise your hand if I’m describing you. Last month:

• you heard that a friend of a friend secured a location to open their dream board game cafe…and were a little envious

• you subscribed to 3 more newsletters that genuinely inspired you (but didn’t read a single word)

• you researched “how to start a podcast” for weeks as a way to procrastinate doing …

Read more

Hi creative friends!

You might have heard that we’re stacking our spring/summer calendar with our signature offering: Possibilities Club! It’s a playful, expansive workshop for anyone pursuing a dream. And, shouldn’t we all be?

We ran Possibilities Club twice last year (in-person in the SF Bay Area), and it blew it out of the water.

So, we’re launching a virtual series as part of our paid membership here on Substack. And, we can’t wait for you to join us. 🤩

SAVE THESE DATES! →

• Thur, April 16th 12pm-1pm Pacific Time (UTC-7)

• Tue, May 12th 12pm-1pm Pacific Time (UTC-7)

• Wed, June 24th 5:30-6:30pm Pacific Time (UTC-7)

• Fri, July 17th 12pm-1pm Pacific Time (UTC-7)

• Thur, August 20th 5:30-6:30pm Pacific Time (UTC-7)

Drop in for 1, or all 5! 🎁 Oh, and we’re giving out $25 Bookshop.org gift cards for folks who can make it to at least 3.

In the coming weeks, you’ll receive instructions on how to 1) join each event and 2) enter an exciting giveaway (for the chance to win a collection of our favorite products to ignite your creative spark this season)!

🗓️ For now, please just do us a huge favor and save these in your calendar. We’ve been working with various creatives and collaborators to perfect this already-immersive run-of-show for you, and we can’t wait for you to experience it (in less than 3 weeks) 🌈✨.

Lastly, if you’re interested in learning about all the perks of our paid membership, check out this Instagram post here. That’s it for now - have a beautiful weekend!

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa

Don’t forget! If you haven’t stopped by our subscriber-only group chat, check out what your fellow creatives have been buzzing about! Challenge: introduce yourself in 1 thread! ⬇️

Interested in the behind-the-scenes?! Peek into our journey of hosting our inaugural Possibilities Club field trip to Marin Headlands, CA last November →

“It’s my dream to write a book someday.”

I’ve said this sentence a thousand times in my life. But…what will it be about? Will it be a waste of time? What will I tell people while I’m writing this book? If I fail, will it confirm my fear that I’m not a good writer? That I’m not funny enough, clever enough, imaginative enough…

Maybe you’ve had these same thoughts. If so, comment your biggest fear of writing a book so we can anguish together. ↓

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Last week, though, I stumbled onto a YouTube video titled “What it’s like to write a book (4 year documentary)”. And, it damn near changed me.

It was by Haley Pham, a 25 year-old content creator and published author who I’d admittedly never heard of (not because she’s not popular but because my social media algorithm has somehow evaded the realms of “BookTube” even though I am absolutely her target audience). In this multi-year vlog, Haley shares vulnerably about her experience writing her debut novel Just Friends (released on March 6, 2026). One of the opening scenes was actually footage from her first day writing it (which she saved but was too scared to share with her audience until this vlog compilation…4 years later).

As I watched this 20-minute video, my soul was ignited. It excited me to see her go from staring at a blank screen, to printing her first draft (then second, third, fourth, and fifth), finding an agent, making major plot and dialogue re-writes, securing a publisher, shipping out her Advanced Reader Copies, revising (and revising and revising), co-creating the book cover, and finally seeing her own book on the shelf of an airport bookstore on release day. I got goosebumps. It was the first time in my life I could truly imagine myself in a published author’s shoes.

Because, while I’ve met (and befriended) many book authors in my life, to be one has always seemed the most elusive thing in the world: more than “A-list actor”, “Neurosurgeon”, or “Fortune 500 CEO".

But, after witnessing Haley’s writer’s journey (albeit curated) at this particular moment in my life, I felt the strongest pulse of creative determination course through my veins, trickling from my frontal lobe to my finger tips (like when you hang upside down for too long and then suddenly stand straight up). I was going to do the thing. I was going to write a book. Yup. It was happening.

Perhaps, this is what it feels like to be influenced??

"I’m Writing in a Cabin in the Woods” Cliché

Long before I stumbled upon Haley’s video, I had booked a 3-day solo trip to Lake Tahoe, CA to immerse in nature and maybe work on Tomatokind’s upcoming podcast. But, with my brain now filled with dreams of becoming a published author, I decided: “I’ll go write my book in the cabin in the woods.”

Heck, that’s perfect! What bonafide author doesn’t do their best work in a cozy A-frame with a reading nook and fireplace by a lake somewhere?? So, this is how it went:

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