Hey Reader

Have you ever felt stuck? Like you’re sitting in the middle of constant motion—ideas swirling, opportunities flowing—and yet, you can’t seem to move forward?

I’ve been there.

In fact, I was there not too long ago. And while I sat by a waterfall at a local NJ coffee shop—a spot where I used to go to think—it all came flooding back.

You see, I once noticed a log lodged at the top of that very waterfall. It was surrounded by a powerful, constant flow of water. The current was doing everything it could to move the log, yet there it sat, stuck.

That log became a mirror for how I felt at the time. Life events and inner struggles had me immobilized. I desperately wanted to move forward but couldn’t see how. I fixated on the log, waiting for it to budge, hoping that if it moved, maybe I could too.

Eventually, I left. And I didn’t see the log again.

Fast forward several months from that experience. Sitting by that same waterfall, I spotted another log, eerily similar, caught in nearly the same spot. But something had shifted in me. This time, I didn’t focus on the log—I focused on the flow.

The waterfall was the real main character all along, not the log.

It hit me: the log I had obsessed over last year? It did eventually move. The powerful current surrounding it made sure of that. I just wasn’t there to see it.

As creatives, we can get so caught up in our “if only” thinking:

• If only I had more time...
• If only I had their talent...
• If only my work was recognized like theirs...

But what if instead of “if only,” we asked, “what if?”

• What if this stuck season is temporary?
• What if the flow around me is carrying me somewhere new?
• What if I don’t have to force the current, but simply join it?

Shifting from “if only” to “what if” opens us up to possibility. It helps us release those stuck “logs” that block our creativity and color our perceptions.

So today, I try letting go of those unhealthy attachments and stepping into the flow. I don’t have to create the current—it’s already there. My job is to dive in and trust where it leads.

If you’re feeling stuck right now, I hope this story reminds you that seasons change, the flow never stops, and movement will come.

Here’s to letting go of what holds us back and embracing what’s ahead.

Free. Unstuck. In the flow.
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~ Mike Brennan

P.S. What “log” are you working on letting go of right now? Hit reply—I’d love to hear your story.

DAILY CHECK-IN

Begin to ask yourself these questions every day as a part of your daily creating rhythms:

1. What did I create today?

2. What did I learn?

3. What can I celebrate?

DAILY PROMPTS

MONDAY: Write a short story or poem about an object that’s stuck, but from the perspective of the flow trying to move it.

TUESDAY: Create a piece using flowing lines or patterns to symbolize movement breaking through obstacles.

WEDNESDAY: Capture a series of photos that contrast stillness and motion in your surroundings.

THURSDAY: Compose a short melody that starts with repetitive, "stuck" rhythms and evolves into a freer, flowing sound.

WEEKEND PROMPT:

Choreograph or improvise a short dance where you begin in a confined position and gradually move into open, expansive gestures.
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