Permission to Let Go

A few weeks ago, I was talking to the KCU team about plans for the last Accountability group of the year, as well as the “Year in Review” workshop I’m leading next week.

“To be honest,” I mused, “when it comes to reflecting on what you’ve accomplished over the past year, and planning for what you want to get done the next year, one of the best ways you could probably help yourself is identify a few things that you’re NOT going to do.”

“You need a permission slip to let go,” Lisa said, laughing. “I heard about that from an artist I follow, April Soetarman.”

“Yes!!” I said, almost jumping out of my chair. I immediately loved the idea of “a permission slip to let go.” So that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

As the year winds down, it’s natural to start thinking about plans for the future. For many of us—especially creative people with a million ideas—it’s easy to equate improvement with adding things: picking up new good habits, taking on new cool projects, or setting more ambitious goals.

But often, the best way to grow is not by adding more, but by letting go.

Letting go can feel counterintuitive. We have this natural inclination to believe that success comes from doing more. “If I could just squeeze some extra drawing time before I leave for work, and add this one project to my list, and sign up for an exercise class so I stay healthy… then I’ll really make it happen next year!”

But what if the weight you’re carrying—the commitments, the habitual routines, or even the creative project that no longer serves you—is keeping you from moving forward?

Why Letting Go Is So Powerful

In the creative process, letting go can be one of the most effective tools for clarity. Here’s why:

Letting go clears mental clutter. Saying yes to too much—whether it’s volunteer work, side projects, or even hangouts with friends you don’t 100% connect with anymore—leaves little room for the deep focus your best work requires.

Letting go makes room for joy. When your time is packed with obligations, your creative energy suffers. Inspiration requires “open space” in your mind and heart.

Letting go prioritizes quality over quantity. If you’re a perfectionist, you’re probably holding yourself to an impossible standard; you might be stuck in endless revisions. Letting go of the compulsion to produce something “flawless” can result in a final product that feels more honest and alive. (For example, I sometimes see pitches where the pencil sketches feel more engaging than the final art.)

Give Yourself Permission to Let Go

Here are some areas where you might consider letting go as a way to move forward:

1. Let go of projects that don’t excite you anymore.

This is such an important one!! There are definitely projects on your list that are weighing you down. They may be external obligations, or they may be creative projects you took on yourself. Or maybe both. If a project has become more of a burden than a joy, give yourself permission to take it off your list.

2. Let go of automatically saying “yes.”

Every “yes” is a “no” to something else. As a born people-pleaser, this concept has taken a long time to sink in for me. It’s hard for some people (like me, haha) to remember that EVERYTHING you agree to do will require time and energy. Honor your own priorities first and be selective about what you commit to.

3. Let go of “pushing through.”

We live in a workaholic culture that prizes more, more, more. It can be easy to get trapped in a busy schedule that has no room for rest. But our bodies and minds require rest as much as they require food and water. How can you make space in your life for naps, daydreaming, meditation, and “doing nothing at all”?

4. Let go of comparison.

This is very tough to do, but it’s possible to slowly wean yourself from the comparison trap. The first step is simply being aware of your tendency to do it. When you notice yourself saying, “Wow, So-and-So is so far ahead of me. Ugh, I wish I could write/draw/put myself out there as well as they do,” you can simply say to yourself, “Comparing.” This is a concept from meditation called “labeling.” Without judging it, just label your thought. Take a deep breath and let it go.

5. Let go of social media.

This is quite a specific suggestion. It’s a habit that many of us struggle with: first, we’re “supposed” to use social media to share our work, and second, it’s such a compelling thing to do when you’re tired and just want to be entertained for a little while. But looking at social media “for a little while” is extremely difficult, because billion dollar corporations employ top scientists and engineers to keep you glued to the screen. It’s very hard for you as an individual to resist a system that has been so carefully engineered to manipulate the human brain.

I am here to tell you that you don’t have to use social media if you don’t want to. There are other ways to share your work (Your own website! A newsletter! Exhibiting at shows! Organizing a meetup! Mailing postcards or zines! etc. etc.) And you probably already know that reading a book or crocheting or taking a walk or innumerable other activities make you feel much, much better than scrolling through a social media feed.

6. Let go of perfectionism and guilt.

Your work doesn’t need to meet some external measure of validation to matter. You don’t owe other people anything. The more you can accept yourself as you are – the more you can love yourself as you are – the more positive energy you’ll bring to your work. (Not to mention to your life, and the people around you!) The old truism about how you should “give yourself the oxygen mask before you put it on someone else” is very, very true. In order to bring our best selves into the world, we have to learn to care for ourselves.

As the Buddha said, “Like a caring mother holding and guarding the life of her only child, so with a boundless heart of loving kindness, hold yourself.”

The Permission Slip!

Here’s a “Permission Slip to Let Go.” Print this out, save it to your phone, or write it in your notebook. Check off the ones that resonate with you. Or make your own Permission Slip!