The Feral Housewife's Guide to

Living Authentically, Creatively, & Intentionally

Issue #76 || July 11, 2025 || Previous issues​

Hey Reader,

I have lots to say today.

So I better get going...after all, you have a summer to enjoy.

Don't blink!

Otherwise you'll miss it.

Can you call yourself a writer?

I have serious imposter syndrome when it comes to creative writing.

I've written poems, short stories, flash fiction, essays, blog articles...you name it. I even have several unfinished novels, some of them have a few chapters and two are complete rough drafts.

And every Friday, for the past year, I've been writing and sending out this newsletter.

Yet, I hesitate to call myself a writer. That's because—Bob, my inner critic, loves saying, "you suck at writing! You should give it up. How can you call yourself a writer if you've never published anything, let alone, finish anything?"

Here's what I tell Bob,

"Be quiet! I write every single day. 99% is for my 👀eyes only. It's a gift 🎁 I give myself. It doesn't matter if it's good or published or if I never finish. I LOVE TO WRITE and that's all that matters."

Does it keep Bob quiet?

For the most part. But let's be real. Bob will never completely leave me alone.

And that's probably a good thing.

What???

Yep, you heard me right.

People without inner critics are called—narcissists.

We need an inner critic to some degree, albeit a very small degree.

That critical voice inside your head is your ego trying to protect you, keep you humble, and grounded.

Can you imagine if your inner chatter only told you how WONDERFUL YOU ARE? How you're God's gift to mankind? That everyone should listen to you all the time, including yourself? 🙀

That sounds like what narcissists hear in their heads (a narcissist without a conscience is a psychopath).

No, thank you!

In swoops Robert to the rescue

Ideally, Bob's negative chatter should get quieter, softer, and more distant the more I shush him.

Then I can tune in to my Robert.

He's my cheerleader and way more pleasant to listen to.

If you have a Bob, and I KNOW YOU DO, you can do the same.

Your Bob might bully you about a host of things (mine bullies me about everything), but today I want to focus on writing.

Why?

Because writing is a way to heal

This shouldn't be news to you.

I've said it 100 times, and I'm NOT the first and won't be the last to say it.

Here's the thing, I can tell my Bob to shove it because my journaling practice is sacred to me.

And guess what?

If I write...I'm a writer!

And if I write for myself, who cares if it's any good?

Writing publicly is a different story.

I'll continue improving my writing so that I can touch the lives of more people.

I'm a writer and so are you

I'm thrilled that some of you replied about your writing adventures.

Some of you used to write, gave it up for various reasons, but started back up again.

Some of you didn't know how cathartic writing is but figured it out real quick while putting words to paper.

I LOVE THAT.

I love it so much, I'm sharing with you what your fellow newsletter friends shared with me:

C.M., "I'm not so creative in that way but my journaling lately has been super helpful in labeling and processing my negative emotions. I would definitely encourage journaling. Just like relieving my gut of poop...relieving my brain and heart of poop has been just as beneficial. 💩"

C.C., "I'm trying my hand at poetry again thanks to you. I'm only sharing it with you (and hubby) for now...It's amazing what a release this is for me. I sobbed writing this (a poem about her mom) but I think I needed to."

C.B., "The title of this article (Pooping on the page—an efficient remedy for emotional constipation) was so intriguing, I decided to read it immediately and it definitely did not disappoint! I loved it. Everything about the analyses, comparison and information is just what I needed. So much so, that I immediately started pooping on the page. I’m gonna try this approach at least once a day. I think it will definitely help make me feel better. I’ll keep you posted on how my healing goes. Thank you for writing such interesting and educational articles."

A.C., "BTW thanks for the questions about a life well lived. (In last week's newsletter) It's good to review those things for ourselves periodically. I do that but having to share it with someone else for some reason has a different effect. I actually wrote those answers specifically for your questions. It was different than the ones I already have done. So that was very helpful and gave me even more clarity."

​
These comments make my heart sing and dance!

Writing can do much, much more for you—if you'd give it a try!

An invitation for you to journal

I had to put my hand over Bob's mouth for this—I'm going to share a poem I wrote this week.

It's not perfect (Bob said it was awful and he might be right, poems usually need tweaking).

However, the intent is not to get it perfect.

It's to get you to visualize yourself as a writer and help you figure out what you might want to write about.

Stepping Stones

Imagine.

Your breath is light

In expectation of delight

Your steps, smooth as the stones leading you across a gentle flowing stream.

Your feet are eager to dance across the stepping stones.

What will you imagine?

What lies beneath the water as you step into and over the stream?

Alligators and crocodiles?

Schools of fish cheering you on, gliding along to amuse you?

Dragonflies fluttering and begging you to make wishes?

Tiny mosquitos—anxious for a taste of you?

Just one drop of blood in exchange for a bumpy itch

only poetry can soothe.

What will you imagine?

What will you feel?

What will hold your gaze?

The horizon?

The waterfalls you envy, as they bubble and gurgle and flow—nothing stops them.

Do you look behind to where you've been?

Up at the infinite blue?

Down at your feet—don't slip!

Do you bend down to touch the cool water, admiring how you cannot control it?

How it flows and catches the light as it pours over and around your fingers?

You stop, to take it all in

In full breaths.

You smile.

You are where you belong.

Because only you are you—as your feet dance across the stepping stones

Imagining the possibilities.

In Summary

As you journal, tell Bob to be quiet, so you can express yourself in peace.

By the way—name your inner critic whatever you want. Bob isn't that original, I know.

Don't forget to find your Robert voice too.

Actually spend time visualizing yourself crossing the stepping stones and write what you see in your mind. Be detailed. Not perfect.

Have fun with it!

I'd love to hear what you write about!

With Love, Creativity, & Intention,

Anna

P.S. If you're enjoying this newsletter, please forward it to a friend.

​​​

​www.aferalhousewife.com​

​https://linktr.ee/aferalhousewife​

I'm a recovering perfectionist and sassy housewife, helping overwhelmed women create a rich and fulfilling inner life by ditching guilt, perfectionism, and the “do it all” myth through therapeutic writing and creative self-expression. I'm here to inspire you to intentionally grow in all areas of life, especially emotionally, because what you think and how you feel influences everything. If you're enjoying this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or send this subscribe link: The Feral Housewife's Guide to Living Authentically, Creatively & Intentionally​ ​ Write. Feel. Heal. Anna Celotto Writer & Inner Life Coach