The Breath Between the Words

The Breath Between the Words: Why Affirmations Alone Aren’t Enough for Creative Confidence

There was a time when writing felt impossibly far away. Like trying to hold a dream with bare hands.

I could sense the stories inside me, they pulsed with possibility, but the moment I tried to write, something would slip. Doubt. Distraction.

The weight of not being good enough.

On a daily walk one morning in the bushland close to our house, I realised something had to change. I stopped reaching outward for answers.

And turned inward instead. That’s when everything began to shift.

Instead of trying to force myself into productivity or push through creative blocks with willpower, I started listening. To my breath. And paid attention to my inner language.

I looked for ways to simplify this new, supportive inner language with daily, mindful practices of gratitude.

Finding three things to be grateful for and voicing them, which added another surprising element of bringing about change. 

Stuck in low self esteem and poor mental health, for many, many days, the three things I was grateful for remained as fresh air to breathe, a home to live in and my daily walk with our family dog.

After a while, I extended my gratitude to my loving family, a cup of hot coffee and food on the table.

It took a long time to arrive at what we call ‘affirmations’, but not the kind that echo in empty repetition.

Yearning for something deeper, I found a process and practice that soon became a daily act of rewiring belief.

The Affirmation Myth

We’ve all heard the classic mantras: “I am successful.” “I am confident.” “I am enough.”

They sound good. But sometimes, they just don’t land.

That’s because when affirmations are repeated without connection, emotion, or integration, they become another form of toxic positivity. They dismiss the real, nuanced feelings that creatives carry: fear, overwhelm, insecurity, resistance. When used as a bandage for deep creative wounds, they often make us feel worse.

Here’s the truth: affirmations only work when they are embodied, believable, and supported by practice.

And if the word ‘affirmation’ does not resonate well with you, I urge you to try using other words such as mindful thought or daily thought or even, centred thought.

What Affirmations Are Really Meant For

Affirmations are not magic spells. They are invitations. When used with awareness, they help reshape the way we relate to our thoughts, our work, and our identity as creators.

Let’s look at what actually makes them powerful:

• Neuroplasticity
  The brain is capable of change, constantly. Every time we think a thought, we reinforce a neural pathway. Affirmations, spoken with repetition and emotion, create new patterns that help us default to belief instead of self-doubt.
• Language as Input
  Our brains are always listening. The way we speak to ourselves shapes our creative identity. When affirmations are realistic and emotionally resonant, they act as gentle reconditioning tools.
• Embodied Practice
  When affirmations are paired with breath, movement, or stillness, they move from mind to body. This is where real integration happens. The nervous system becomes a partner in belief, as do our cellular structures.

A Holistic Creative Practice

For me, affirmations or mindful thoughts didn’t start working until I stopped treating them as a solo solution. They had to live inside a creative lifestyle. A toolkit. A rhythm.

What worked?

• Breathwork: to regulate the nervous system and shift from fear to flow 
• Journaling: to uncover the stories underneath the resistance 
• Visualization: to imprint new beliefs and let them bloom 
• Creative rituals: like lighting a candle before writing, or repeating a phrase while walking 
• Mindful walking: to reconnect with nature and let ideas rise through movement 
• Yoga: to return to the body, release stagnation, and invite clarity 
• Rest and boundaries: because the brain needs space to metabolise new narratives 

This is what helped me return to the page with softness. Not perfection. Not pressure. Just presence.

Introducing Words in Motion: Bold Prompts and Affirmations for Creative Minds

Words in Motion was born from this experience—from the inner rewriting that helped me reclaim my creative voice. This guide is not just a list of affirmations. It’s a grounded toolkit for creative self-trust.

Inside, you’ll find:

• 44 intentional affirmations and free writing picture prompts, written and designed for writers, artists, and dreamers 
• Breathwork and reflection prompts to integrate the words into your body and process 
• A soulful rhythm that invites you to slow down and reconnect with your inner voice 

This is not a hype product. It’s a quiet companion for the days when you forget how powerful your words really are.

Final Thought

You don’t need louder affirmations. You need truer ones. Ones that breathe with you. Ones that meet you where you are, and walk with you toward where you’re going.

Words in Motion is here when you’re ready.

Let it be a breath between the words. Let it bring you back to yourself.