“The Swedish term lagom (pronounced roughly as 'lah-gom') is a word and cultural concept that roughly translates to "just the right amount" or "not too much, not too little". It has no single direct English translation but encapsulates the Swedish principle of balance, moderation, and sufficiency in all aspects of life.”

“Those I’ve followed for 10 years are those that allowed themselves to evolve and experiment. People follow the energy and excitement, not the sameness.”

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Ai summary - thanks Claude

Joyful Growth: A Conversation with Elin

Overview

Claire and Elin discuss maintaining joy and authenticity as creators across a decade of building online businesses, part of the January Joy(ful) Growth Club with Russell and Claire

Key Themes

The Reality of Creative Work

* Not always joyful: Elin emphasizes that building a creative business online hasn’t been joyful every single day

* Cycles are natural: Both creators experience periods of high creative output followed by quieter, more difficult phases

* Return to basics: When overwhelmed, the solution is always returning to the art itself—creating for the joy of it

The Journey

* Elin started in 2016 on Instagram with hand embroidery, experiencing rapid viral growth

* Built across multiple platforms gradually: Instagram first, then Pinterest, then YouTube

* Started writing on Substack two years ago as a way to reconnect with creative joy

* Has been running some form of subscription for eight years

Managing Growth and Expectations

* Cultural conditioning: Elin discusses Swedish “lagom” culture (don’t be too much, be steady) and how it influenced her approach

* The hamster wheel trap: Easy to replicate the same patterns you’re trying to escape when monetizing passion

* Outsourcing excellence: Never give control of your creative practice to external rules—whether business coaches, algorithms, or platform requirements

Pivots and Transitions

* Ellen launched a second Substack (art magazine) while guilt-ridden about leaving Instagram

* Faced challenges when moving existing email subscribers to Substack

* Currently in another transition phase, rebranding and moving away from subscriptions

* Recognizes different business models serve different life seasons

Key Insights

On Authenticity: “I deeply struggle with performance. The way I keep going is by committing to being transparent about it as a way to kill the shame.”

On Starting: “Move your ass and your mind will follow” - you can’t think your way out of creative blocks; you must physically create

On Qualifications: “Nobody can target me for not being an expert at my own experience because literally that’s what I lived.”

On Platform Relationships:

* Think of platforms as marriages—there will be honeymoon periods and difficult seasons

* Building on borrowed land has trade-offs, but can still be valuable

* The key is maintaining your own creative center regardless of platform changes

Practical Wisdom

* Create one thing daily (stitch away keeps the doctor away)

* Add platforms gradually, not all at once

* Keep non-monetized creative practices alongside business

* Self-care checklist: When wanting to quit, check—are you tired? Hungry? Need a walk?

* Use triggers as mirrors: When feeling envious or frustrated online, examine what it reveals about your own needs

* Create before you consume: Protect your creative energy from comparison and distraction

* You only need one reason to start: “I want to” is enough

On Subscriptions and Sustainability

* Subscriptions can provide stability during intense life seasons (young children, house moves, life pivots)

* They serve as an anchor to keep creating during difficult times

* Different business models suit different life phases

* It’s okay to pivot when something no longer serves you

Final Message

* The only constant is change

* Never outsource your excellence to external validation

* Vulnerability is part of our humanity, not a weakness

* Joy comes from the art itself, and growth follows as a byproduct

* “Evolve or die”—not physical death, but the death of living asleep to your creative potential - Claire attributes to Ana Forest - her yoga teacher - the concept of evolving to stay awake.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparkleon.substack.com/subscribe

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