How Rewatching Shows for Nostalgic Sake is Helping Me Reclaim My Creativity
Ugly Betty, Insecure, Thats So Raven, Emperors' New Groove...
They really had us believing Betty Suarez was plus-size in Ugly Betty… that was wild!
Lately, as I’ve been on this journey to reclaim my creativity, I’ve found myself rewatching a bunch of shows and movies that remind me of simpler times. (The Emperor’s New Groove popped up first — mostly because I randomly got the intro song stuck in my head and couldn’t shake it.)
After doing a lot of work healing my anxious attachment, I realized it was time to work on my creative confidence too. I use my creativity every day at work, but over time, it started to feel like I was giving my gift away. I’m proud of what I do — it’s for a great cause — but it didn’t feel like mine. What once felt like an outlet was starting to feel like something I needed an outlet from.
Then I stumbled on a TikTok where a creator said:
“If you’re stuck on your content, go watch TV.”
And honestly? That was some of the best advice I’ve gotten. So much of what we love about social media is really what we used to love about TV — before everything became reboots and endless reality shows.
Rewatching Ugly Betty reminded me of how badly I once wanted to work at a magazine… until reality hit and I realized I couldn’t afford to take an unpaid internship. (This was before folks were getting rightfully shamed for not paying their interns!)
It brought me back to a time when I’d throw themed parties just for fun, or try out creative ideas just because I felt like it — not because I needed to make a dollar off of them. Tapping back into that version of myself really helped me relaunch this platform and make better content. Now, I’m less focused on views and more focused on creating consistently. Period.
Then I rewatched Insecure, and whew — that one hit deep. I started the series right after I moved back home from college. Nothing was going the way I thought it would, but I still had enough hope to try building something of my own. I saw a tweet that said:
“Rewatching Insecure when life’s not going great will give you the push you need.”
And they were right. Watching it back reminded me of who I was at 23: living with my mom, working a job I was good at but didn’t love, not dating because I didn’t think I deserved to, barely scraping by…
Now? I’m not where I want to be just yet, but I’m so far from where I started.
(Also, let’s be real — I skipped to Season 5 because the first few seasons were triggering 😂)
If you’ve been feeling blocked creatively, try making a nostalgic watch list. See what comes up.
I’m feeling so much more grounded and inspired now — I’ve been creating like a mad woman!
What’s on your watch list right now? Let me know in the comments.