Creative Curiosity by Nathalie Le Riche — finding your voice

As a child, I often heard the words: “Don’t,” “You shouldn’t,” “You should do this,” “You can’t.” Over time, these phrases created an unconscious belief that I wasn’t allowed to be myself. I learned that the feelings of others mattered more than mine, and that my role was to obey in order to keep them happy. If I didn’t, their unhappiness seemed to prove I was the cause — that I must have done something wrong, that I was a bad person. When these beliefs go unquestioned, they follow us into adulthood. I found myself repeating the same words to...

When someone offers a suggestion, how do you receive it? Do you hear it as something valuable — a chance to grow — or does it land as a personal attack? The way we feel in those moments often reveals the belief systems we’ve taken on over time. If we can see suggestions as opportunities to improve, we’ve begun to learn the art of growth. Yet if we feel attacked, it’s worth asking: what about the suggestion makes it feel like an attack? Did it trigger a sense that we’ve done something wrong? And if so, where in the past...

For years, I believed that silence was safety. That if I swallowed my truth, others would feel better. That my quietness could mend their sadness, soften their anger, create peace. But instead, my silence became a breeding ground for pain—mine and theirs. I didn’t just lose my voice. I lost myself. When I finally spoke, it wasn’t gentle. It was fierce, raw, and misunderstood. My truth, long buried, came out like a storm. And in its wake, I met resistance. Arguments. Accusations. Almost physical confrontations. Not because I was wrong—but because none of us had learned how to speak without...