#112 Deesha Philyaw Doesn't Believe in Writer's Block or Imposter Syndrome
And What to Ask if You Do
Hi! New here? Welcome to the Uplifters! I'm Aransas Savas. I've spent the last 20 years at the intersection of behavior change research and coaching. On The Uplifters Podcast, we share diverse stories of women who have found something beautiful on the other side of the hard stuff. Despite self-doubt and fear (and honestly, who doesn't have those?), they've done big, brave things anyway, and show us how we can too!
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Today’s Featured Uplifter: Deesha Philyaw
"I just don't have time to not do the things I wanna do."
There's something quietly revolutionary about a woman who refuses to accept "that's just how things are" as the final answer. Deesha Philyaw and the characters she creates aren’t rebellious, but they are courageous enough to interrogate the layers beneath both inner and outer obstacles. When she talks about writer's block or imposter syndrome, Deesha doesn't accept them as immovable forces. Instead, she asks: what's really underneath this? What fifth-grade teacher's criticism am I still carrying? What dysfunctional relationship requires me to play small?
Her award-winning collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies swept every major literary prize precisely because it captures this spirit of expansion—women daring to be truer to themselves than to the rules they've inherited. But perhaps more importantly, Deesha shows us that breaking free isn't a one-time event. It's a daily practice of choosing authenticity over approval, curiosity over comfort, and our own voice over the chorus of expectations.
Her Courage Practice: The Art of Interrogation
Deesha has developed what I think of as a "courage archaeology"—the practice of digging beneath surface explanations to find the real obstacles. When she feels stuck, she doesn't stop at "I have writer's block." She keeps asking: What is this block really about? Where did this perfectionism originate? Which relationship dynamics am I protecting by staying small?
This practice extends far beyond writing. When she finds herself overwhelmed by impossible to-do lists, she doesn't just reorganize her calendar—she questions why she's saying yes to things that don't align with her priorities. When opportunities feel scary, she doesn't dismiss the fear but examines what's driving it.
The ripple effect is profound: by modeling this kind of honest self-examination, Deesha creates permission for other writers to interrogate their own limiting beliefs. Through her mentorship, workshop teaching, and literary citizenship work, she's saying to all of us: "Your stories matter, and the obstacles keeping you from telling them deserve investigation, not acceptance."
Listen to This If:
You want to learn how to dig deeper than surface-level explanations for why you feel stuck
You're curious about balancing multiple creative projects without burning out
You need inspiration for saying no to good things so you can say yes to what matters most
You want to understand how to build a sustainable creative community and support other artists
Referenced Resources:
Deesha Philyaw’s Substack newsletter, which includes pre-orders for debut writers and indie bookstore support through Bookshop.org
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies - Deesha's award-winning short story collection
Nadia Bolz-Weber's wisdom: "Teach from your scars, not your wounds" originally shared on the podcast by Beth Carroll.
The Uplifters Community offerings:
Friday morning Cocoon co-working sessions (available to podcast sponsors)
The Uplifter Thread
Did you know that EVERY woman on the Uplifters podcast is nominated by a former guest or audience member? This means you and I get to chat with some pretty freaking inspiring women- the ones who inspire the women who inspire us!
Our current thread: Susan Jaramillo → Kate Tellers from The Moth → Cleyvis Natera → @Deesha Philyaw → and now Deesha has nominated the legendary Mahogany L. Browne as her Uplifter - a genre-bending storyteller, Lincoln Center resident, and generous literary community builder who brings musicians and writers together while maintaining "a tender heart" and being "hilarious" and "a genius on the page and stage."
Check out the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple
Listen to more transformation stories here.
Let’s keep rising higher together.
💓 Aransas
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 | A guest post by
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Aransas, thank you so much! This was such a fun and meaningful interview. Thank you for making it special! xo