Where Healing Meets Design
Created by Karen Waleska, inspired by Mimi🐾
💬 Got Questions? So Did I.
This page wasn’t built to answer just the frequently asked questions.
It was built for the quiet ones—the ones whispered in burnout, muttered after a bad meeting, or left unanswered because you were told "that’s just how it is."
Some were whispered by fear.
Some were disguised as feedback.
Some were never asked, but always felt.
Now they’re answered—with clarity, honesty, and a bit of soul.
“You’re not broken. You’re editing.”
—Karen Waleska
What They Said. What I Know Now.
Do I need a degree to call myself a writer?
A: You need a voice. I’ve written thousands of pages—some published, some whispered into journals—and none of them required a diploma. Degrees validate a skill. Lived experience validates a voice.
I keep second-guessing myself. What if I made it all up?
A:You didn’t. Trauma distorts memory, but the body remembers. Write it down. Trust the version of you that lived it.
Maybe I should stop this dream and get a real job again?
A: That voice isn’t your truth—it’s your fear, dressed as responsibility. You’re not lazy. You’re not unrealistic. You’re in a season of rebuilding with intention. You’re allowed to rest, recalibrate, and create something that doesn’t exploit your gifts.
What if I’m not as good as I thought I was?
A: You were good under pressure, in systems that silenced you. Imagine what you’ll do now with freedom. Self-doubt isn’t a fact—it’s a leftover bruise from working while undervalued.
Will they try to stop me from sharing my truth?
A: Then they’ve proven your point.Your truth doesn’t need their permission to be real.
What’s the point of sharing my story now?
A: Because silence didn’t protect me—clarity did. I’m sharing to reclaim what was lost in the quiet: my confidence, creativity, and mental health. To remind anyone who’s been gaslit, dismissed, or let go: You’re not broken. You were building something. Let’s walk it forward—one honest, creative step at a time.