Five Mindset Shifts to Overcome Stuckness with Gabriela Periera
Sue interviews DIY MFA founder Gabriela Pereira at the Write Anyway Summit about five mindset shifts to help writers overcome stuckness, time constraints, resistance, and self-criticism. Pereira introduces (1) “honor your reality,” reframing writing vs. life responsibilities as an ebb-and-flow balance and suggesting setting a deadline for writing breaks; (2) “resistance is your compass,” interpreting resistance as fear that signals high-stakes work, while noting some projects may need support or a “not now” pause; (3) rejecting “writer’s block” as usually life issues, resistance, or excuses, and encouraging adapting writing advice to what works for you; (4) “don’t compound failure with guilt,” distinguishing pain from suffering and offering an “angst jar” practice to process emotions; and (5) replacing “I can’t” with “how can I” to restore agency and take the next doable step. Pereira shares a freebie at diymfa.com/writeanywaysummit2026 and invites viewers to join the DIY MFA newsletter.
00:00 Welcome and Intro
01:23 Why Mindset Matters
03:02 Honor Your Reality
08:34 Resistance as Compass
13:55 Writers Block Myth
19:17 No Guilt on Failure
26:43 Ask How Not Cant
31:11 Final Takeaways and Freebie