11 Soulful Questions for Sensitive Creators
A personal invitation to connect with yourself, and maybe with me too.
A few weeks ago, I woke up to a lovely surprise: Valle Sy nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Challenge in one of her posts.
It’s a friendly, writer-to-writer tag meant to share more of ourselves with readers and celebrate each other’s work.
While I’m not usually one for chains, I am a big fan of warm gestures, intentional reflection, and wholesome conversations.
So, Valle, your questions got me thinking. Here are my answers:
Is there a book that hit you hard? Made you cry, laugh, angry, or any other strong emotion?
The book that made me cry the most is only well-known among French-speaking Canadians: Ces Enfants d’Ailleurs by Arlette Cousture.
How this two-volume gem of an epic ended up in our house in southern Morocco when I was 14, I’ll never know.
It follows three Polish children who flee Warsaw during World War II, and it broke my heart every time I reread it (at least three times).
Sadly, I don’t think it’s been translated into English, but if you’re looking for a book that grabs you from the first page, Normal People by Sally Rooney had me welling up non-stop during a four-hour train ride last week.
I devoured it in one sitting and haven’t stopped daydreaming about it ever since.
If you had to choose a theme song for your writing, which one would it be?
You Are The Best Thing — Ray LaMontagne
Not only because Ray is one of my favorite artists and has seen me through all the pivotal moments in my life, but also for the rhythm, the love, and the joy this song carries.
Is there a particular object in your house that you always associate with writing? Which one is it?
I’m not going to be very original here: Just my laptop. I love scrambling ideas on a notepad and mapping them out in big blocks, squares and arrows. But when it comes to putting it all into words, I’m a typing kind of girl.
What's your favorite word? Any language is accepted, but please provide its English translation as well.
I love languages so this is a tough one. The Moroccan language is a gold mine of unique concepts that don’t translate in other cultures.
My favorite might be the word Zaama زعما.
It wins for its versatility. Here are some examples of how it can be used:
Zaama “I mean to say”, “Like”, “The plan was to…”
Zaama? “You really think so?”, “Are you for real?”, “Are you sure?”
Zaama zaama! “I’m not falling for that”, “so-called”, “alleged”
Do you have either a weird or a favorite writing habit? If so, name it.
Not a weird one, but I enjoy writing in the morning with my phone in another room, and a steaming cup of mint tea on the desk.
I try to carve out three-hour writing blocks whenever I can. I’m currently reading Deep Work by Cal Newport, and it’s made me even more aware of the importance of removing distractions to get more done in less time.
Thanks to this habit, I’ve gone from taking a week to write and format a post to doing it all in a single morning. Powerful stuff!
What's a topic you think people should write more about?
Emotions, emotions, emotions!
Emotions at home, at work, during a conflict. Emotional fluency. Emotional maturity. Emotional processing.
Emotions drive everything we do and the world would be a kinder place if we were all emotionally smarter.
When you start writing a post, what do you usually write first: the title, the opening, or the ending?
I write the opening first and the title last.
If you were given the opportunity to be a screenwriter for a movie, what genre would you prefer it to be? If you want to go further (movie title, movie characters, plot), we’re all ears... ah... eyes, sorry!
I’m a sucker for romantic movies that end well, so it would have to be some sort of deep and rich love story set in a historic context.
If you had to choose a quote (or one of your own written lines) for the entire population to wear on T-shirts, which one would it be?
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
― Viktor E. Frankl
A bit long, but nothing a good t-shirt graphic designer couldn’t work out.
If you meet somebody for the first time, what would you like them to know about you, right from the start?
That I find it easy to listen.
So if they’d rather skip the small talk, we can go straight to their ideas, their life story, or the things that truly matter to them.
If you had to choose a movie character that resonates with you the most (cartoon or not), which one would it be?
It would be a beautiful hybrid of Vivian Ward and Sally Albright.
Charismatic, touching, smart and fun.
If I was allowed to broaden the question to tv shows too, I’d throw in Lorelai Gilmore and Rachel Green too for some extra spark and relatability.
So there you have it, Valle Sy.
I hope you don’t find my answers too boring because your mind certainly isn’t.
With your authentic and introspective voice, every one of your pieces is personal and carries a warmth and relatability that feel familiar.
You generously let us into the nooks of your vivid mind, with an abundance of wit and humor.
I can tell that you write to connect, not to perform. And it works, because reading your work feels like settling into a comfy chair across from a friend, with my hands wrapped around a warm mug.
Thank you again, Valle, for the nomination and the thoughtful questions. This was a joy to write.
Instead of nominating other writers by name, I’m keeping the essence of the challenge but tweaking the rules.
If you’re a sensitive creator or a reflector of any kind, I’d love to know you better.
Consider this your invitation to join us by answering one or all of these questions:
What do you return to, again and again, for comfort?
What do the people you admire the most have in common?
What’s something “small” that overstimulates you?
What’s one thing that moves you to tears (good or bad)?
How has your writing helped you make sense of your inner world?
What’s one belief you’ve outgrown?
What do you tend to notice that others often overlook?
What part of you are you still learning to speak kindly to?
When did you last change your mind about something?
What does “success” look like for you on an emotionally fulfilling day?
How do you know when you need creative rest?
You can do it in a post, a note, a comment below or even quietly to yourself.
Bonus points if you tag a fellow creator that inspires you on this platform and let them know what makes them special.
I can’t wait to connect with you ✨
OK Ilham!
I love these questions, so it would be truly remiss of me not to answer them 🙂
1. What do you return to, again and again, for comfort?
Thinking of things I have done, people I have known, and places I have seen. Our memories are our most valuable possessions.
2. What do the people you admire the most have in common?
They all give generously to others without wanting anything in return. They are focused more on the impact they can make rather than their own success.
3. What’s something “small” that overstimulates you?
Catching a bug in the house and letting it go in the garden. It’s a silly thing in the grand scheme of things, but it’s saving a small life too.
4. What’s one thing that moves you to tears (good or bad)?
Listening to beautiful but emotive songs. For example, ‘Woman in Chains’ by Tears for Fears or ‘The Living Years’ by Mike and the Mechanics.
5. How has your writing helped you make sense of your inner world?
Through encouraging me to think deeply about what moves me, what I love, and what I would like to do. In a world full of distractions, demands and uncertainty, writing helps me to be more centered and, through introspection, to work out how to respond in a more fundamental way.
6. What’s one belief you’ve outgrown?
That I am immortal 🙂. It’s scary now when I think about all the crazy things I’ve done over the years – but I’m still here!
7. What do you tend to notice that others often overlook?
The importance of revealing our passion for something in our lives and in our careers. Our principal goal should always be to find something we can really love doing. The happiest, most fulfilled and most successful people you can meet are those who have done just that…
8. What part of you are you still learning to speak kindly to?
The part that keeps telling me that I could have done certain things better in the past.
9. When did you last change your mind about something?
A short while ago... I was going to answer these questions tomorrow morning over coffee!
10. What does “success” look like for you on an emotionally fulfilling day?
Satisfaction that I managed to do what I set out to do, and that I did it to the best of my abilities, and that it made a positive impact somewhere.
11. How do you know when you need creative rest?
When my mind slows down, and it takes multiple times longer to create something than normal (writing is a good example), combined with a yearning to do something completely different. There is no point in forcing myself to continue. A rest will enable me to do the things I have to do better, once I have recharged. Going for a walk… having a nice meal… listening to some music… meeting with a friend – things that don’t require me to think too much!
I love this, thank you so much! It’s cool way to connect and get to know you better. I’ll answer the questions in a post and tag you there as well as link this so people can read and post their own answers.