Episode Overview

Hosted by Karina Kampe and Maria Wronski-Ellis, Big Dreams & Little Things is the podcast for creatives, freelancers, and solo entrepreneurs who want to move forward one small step at a time.

This week, Maria and Karina dive into a deeply human question:

Why do we sometimes disappear right when things are finally starting to work?

From procrastination and perfectionism to the fear of being fully seen, this episode explores how the nervous system responds to visibility — and why holding back doesn’t always mean failure or laziness. Sometimes, it means we’re protecting something deeply personal.

Through the story of Emily Dickinson, reflections on creativity and identity, and insights from psychology and neuroscience, Maria and Karina unpack:

• The hidden emotional cost of visibility
• Why creatives often fear success more than failure
• The tension between wanting to be seen and wanting to stay safe
• How accountability and community help us keep creating

Topics Covered

• Creative visibility and nervous system regulation
• Self-sabotage vs self-protection
• The psychology of being seen
• Emily Dickinson and hidden creative brilliance
• Perfectionism and procrastination
• Imposter syndrome and identity shifts
• Why accountability helps creatives grow
• Building creative confidence through small steps
• The importance of community for artists and freelancers

Memorable Quotes

“Your nervous system is wired for safety — not success.”

“Maybe she chose to keep her work whole, even if it meant keeping it hidden.”

“Fear doesn’t disappear when you grow. New level, new fear.”

“It’s not fearlessness. It’s fear + presence instead of fear + avoidance.”

“You don’t have to go from private to public overnight.”

Resources Mentioned

📖 Emily Dickinson’s Poem

“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant —”

If you’ve never read Emily Dickinson before, this poem is such a beautiful doorway into her inner world (and honestly… painfully relatable for creatives trying to share their work gently).

📚 Susan Jeffers

Karina references the idea that fear doesn’t disappear as we grow — we simply expand our capacity to move with it.

A good starting point:

• Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

Backstage Community Spotlight

Our creative in focus this week is the illustrator and painter Jenny Svenberg.

Picture a dark jazz club in Stockholm. In the back, a woman is sketching fast. Bold colours and pen lines. Quick pencil strokes to capture the music and the faces on stage. This is Jenny at work.

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