When the Ground Feels Shaky: Navigating Insecurity, Change, and the Weight of Becoming

Change shakes us awake

There’s something in the air lately

Maybe you’ve felt it too.

That low hum of worry. That quiet, heavy ache beneath the surface of conversations. I’ve noticed it at work. In friendships. In family group chats. In moments of silence. People, myself included, are at their limit. Maxed out emotionally, mentally, energetically. It’s like the air itself is holding tension.

And I don’t think we talk about that enough.

We don’t always have the language for the subtle ways insecurity shows up: the deep sigh before answering a text, the forgotten meal, the missed connection, the sudden urge to cry and not knowing why. It’s easy to look at our overwhelm and think we’re failing when, really, we’re feeling.

And in a world that often rushes past emotion, it’s brave to pause and name it.

Personally, I’ve been navigating a lot of internal changes. Identity shifts. Growing pains. Truths I thought I settled years ago suddenly knocking again. It’s like every layer of who I’ve been is asking to be revisited, and that’s exhausting.

There are moments I feel so grounded in who I am and what I’m building. Create Space feels like a gift I’ve been given to give back. I believe in it. I trust it. But I’m also human. I have ADHD and anxiety. I get overwhelmed. I second-guess myself. I scroll too long. I stay quiet when I want to speak. I feel all of it, deeply.

Some days, I don’t feel like I’m “creative enough” to lead this vision. Other days, I feel like it’s pouring out of me.

It’s hard to carry a dream and your doubts at the same time.

But maybe that’s what becoming looks like.

Capacity is Collective

I keep coming back to this: so many of us are doing the best we can, with what we have, while holding way more than we were meant to carry alone.

We’re parenting, co-parenting, caregiving, building, surviving, re-parenting ourselves, loving people through their storms, working long hours, pursuing healing, and trying to be present through it all.

That’s not a small thing.

There’s no perfect way to hold it all. And we shouldn’t have to.

I’ve had to remind myself lately that being present at all is a win.

Whether it’s showing up in my work, being present as a partner or stepmom-figure, or just remembering to drink water… it’s all valid.

You are allowed to be in process. You are allowed to grieve and grow at the same time.

Let’s Talk About Grief (The Quiet Kind)

We often think of grief as something tied to death. But I’ve been grieving the parts of myself I no longer recognize. I’ve been grieving old patterns, identities, friendships, and stories I’ve outgrown. And it’s made me realize that growth is a kind of loss, too.

Sometimes we don’t talk about how heavy change can feel, especially when it’s the kind of change that doesn’t get celebrated on Instagram.

The invisible healing. The unlearning. The tiny, quiet decisions to try again.

I’ve had waves of anger lately. And hope. And sadness. And relief.

It’s all tangled together.

And instead of pushing it away, I’m trying to make space for all of it.

Because healing isn’t linear. And you don’t have to feel “better” to be moving forward.

Pouring Into What’s Real

Despite the hard days, I keep returning to Create Space. Even if all I can offer it on a given day is a note, a breath, a moment of belief. I keep showing up, even when my confidence is shaky because I know this space isn’t just for me.

It’s for us.

It’s for the people who need a reminder that their softness is sacred. That their slowness isn’t a flaw. That their art, rest, care, and presence matter.

I don’t always know how to keep everything balanced. But I do know that the more I root myself in purpose—no matter how messy it feels—the more clarity begins to rise.

Even when I feel behind. Even when I feel unsure. I’m learning that devotion matters more than perfection.

If you’ve been feeling overstretched, unseen, or unsure… you’re not alone.

If you’ve been feeling like you’re shedding parts of yourself while trying to stay steady… I see you.

If you’ve been trying to keep your creativity alive in the middle of burnout… I’m with you.

You don’t need to rush. You don’t need to prove.

You are allowed to be in-between.

And if no one has told you this lately: You are doing better than you think.

Writing this blog feels a little like leaving a letter on a windowsill hoping the right hearts find it.

Thank you for being one of them.

We are all living through so much right now, and it takes real courage to continue to care, create, connect, and feel. If you're here, reading this, you already carry that courage inside you.

“Even when the ground feels shaky, your roots remember.”

Take care of your nervous system. Be gentle with your expectations. Find joy in small rituals. And when you feel ready, return to the space you’re creating for yourself and others.

We’ll keep growing together.

With care,

Ariel