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May 26, 2023·edited May 26, 2023Liked by Aly Prades

As an artist and creative with OCD I can relate to this so much! Thank you for living your second best life. Thank you for writing. And thank you for sharing… this has given me renewed hope 💛

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Thank you for reading! Cheering you on in your second best life! 💛

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"I started to write again. I started to make decisions based on my values (creativity, integrity, gratitude) instead of fear." I love this. I've been working on this idea in myself too. I recently started going back to school and ended up getting my first B in a class in years (not even a B+, which my obsessive undergrad self would have been horrified to hear). It was nice to not hold myself to a ridiculous standard and just be an okay student and learn. Did the intrusive thoughts about failure go away? Not really. But I kept going and learned. Thank you for your encouraging words and writing this resource!

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Kandi! I love this so much! What a gift to yourself to go back to school and release yourself from those ridiculous standards. Proud of you!

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Thank you, Aly!

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This is so beautiful and raw, and really helped me understand OCD a lot better! Thank you for sharing this and for creating anyway. <3 I especially loved "A known failure felt safer than a surprise mistake." I can relate to that big time.

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Thank you for reading and being willing to learn more about OCD! And sheesh, we try to protect ourselves in so many ways--let’s be just as creative in how we move forward anyway!

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Love this and your vulnerability! I was diagnosed with OCD as a child (almost 20 years ago!) and can definitely relate.

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Thank you for sharing, Meg. I truly believe my fellow OCDers are some of the most creative, brave, and resilient people!

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Love, love, love this! Thank you so much for putting this into story form through your life lens. So helpful.

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Thank you, Jenny! 💛

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Jun 3, 2023Liked by Aly Prades

Aly, this is a beautiful essay. Thank you for battling through both your life and the writing of this piece to share these words with us. (Somehow I feel seen and known and less alone because I relate to so much of this, feeling damned if I do and damned if I don’t. Yet your piece is a testament that “creating anyway” is worth it... I’m so proud of you!) I’m looking forward to growing alongside you and the other mamas in Exhale! It feels like such a huge privilege.

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Thank you, Lisa! That lose-lose dread can be so paralyzing! I’m excited to create together and get to know you more. Cheering you on in creating anyway! 💪🏾

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So glad you’re writing!!

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Thank you, Kim!

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“What if my ideas are stupid, cheesy, even worse, cliche?” All. The. Time. I think this. Like why would I write more noise?

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Ugh! The struggle is real! I’m glad you’re still choosing to write 💛

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Lovely reflections and I’m so glad you keep writing, too! Thank you for your honesty. What a gift to be in the process of OCD recovery and we are gifted when you share it with us. ❤️

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Thank you, Christine!

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So glad you keep writing. 👏🏽 and I am definitely going to listen to that podcast you mentioned - thanks!

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Thanks, Lindsey! I'd love to hear what you think of the podcast! Also, Kimberly Quinlan's Self-Compassion for OCD workbook is excellent-it has great exercises in it even if you don't have OCD--link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Compassion-Workbook-OCD-Difficult-Emotions/dp/168403776X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2F9PR9OGN8TAE&keywords=the+self-compassion+workbook+for+ocd&qid=1685194994&sprefix=the+self-compas%2Caps%2C840&sr=8-1

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Thank you!

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