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Beth

@notedbypenn

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✨Unfiltered life chat
✨Thoughts/Self therapy
✨Friendships 😫
✨My face answers before my mouth

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There’s something so lovely about watching someone light up when they talk about something they love. The way their eyes brighten, their words tumble out, and suddenly you get to see a little more of who they really are. I often think this when I’m talking to my Husband 🤎

Never lose or let someone dull that sparkle✨ by @notedbypenn

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3 days ago

Constantly picking a child’s likes apart and shaming them for dancing, singing, or dressing a certain way will have a massive impact on who they are and how confident they are as an adult.

To this day, I can’t just sing in the car or dance in the kitchen, and when I do, it’s a decision that I’m fully conscious of. Yet my love for music is built in and deep.

It’s reflected back at me daily in encouraging my own children to let go and dance as they want to, and sing at the top of their lungs because they love to, when I just physically can’t.

The reluctance in me is painful and unstoppable. I’m unable to take my own advice to simply ‘enjoy myself’.

I really do see it as something that was taken away from me, and something that impacts me into adulthood.

I’ve often been told I’m too stuck up to let go, blah blah blah. These comments fly right past me now, but the inability to join in doesn’t.

My jaw locks, and I’m just stuck, even now.

Does anyone else have this? Beth xx by @notedbypenn

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6 days ago

Part Two.

The comments got worse as I got older.
The control became more obvious.
And slowly, I began to understand that the things happening around me weren’t normal.

At the time, I didn’t have the words for any of it. I just knew I was becoming afraid.

This is another part of my story. Names and identifying details have been changed for privacy, but the experiences are my own.

The images throughout this story are AI-generated using my own descriptions and memories of the events. They are not photographs of the people or places involved, and details have been altered to protect privacy.

For the thought-bubble slides, I used my own face as the reference, as those slides represent my own memories and perspective.

Part three soon 🫶🏻 by @notedbypenn

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19 days ago

I’m genuinely confused by people who take a hot drink to bed.

You’ve already brushed your teeth.
You’ve got into bed.
You’re comfortable.

And then you introduce tea?!

So now you’re either going to sleep with tea teeth or get back out of bed and brush them again, which to be quite frank so your only option really!?

Please tell me I’m not the only person who sees the logistical flaw here. by @notedbypenn

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25 days ago

I always thought this was just a strange part of my childhood.

Looking back now, I realise it was the beginning of something much darker.

And yes… I chose “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls as the soundtrack.
Because apparently even my trauma needs a little ✨90s irony✨ 😂

This is the story of how someone who seemed like the nicest person in the world became someone I was afraid of.

This is where the story begins.

And I had absolutely no idea what was coming.

Part 2 coming soon. 🤍

As stated, these are my own stories and memories from a turbulent childhood. The images are created by me, feeding AI descriptions of scenes and scenarios from my past. It takes a fair bit of work to get them right, but I try to depict everything as authentically as possible within the constraints of AI guidelines.

The names and some details have been changed to protect people’s privacy. by @notedbypenn

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a month ago

Friendship break ups can be heartbreaking though hey 🥺 by @notedbypenn

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a month ago

“Just because I have to love you doesn’t mean I have to like you.”

This was a phrase my mum used all the time when I was growing up.

She also used to tell me that one day, when I had children of my own, I would understand exactly what she meant.

Well, I have children of my own now… and I still don’t understand it.

In fact, I think it’s an abhorrent thing to say to your child.

There’s something deeply uncomfortable about telling a child that you are obliged to love them, but that you don’t necessarily like them. Children shouldn’t have to earn their parents’ affection, or wonder whether they are liked, accepted or tolerated.

Maybe some of us grow up and realise that the things we were told were “normal” weren’t normal at all.

And perhaps that’s one of the strangest parts of healing — looking back at the words you grew up with and finally seeing them for what they were.

Did you grow up with a version of this phrase?

Feel free to share your own versions in the comments. I’d genuinely love to hear them. 🤍 by @notedbypenn

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a month ago

When someone rewrites the story 🙄 by @notedbypenn

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a month ago

The Woman at the End of the Bed 👻

This is one of those stories I’ve never really known what to make of.

It happened years ago, but it’s something I’ve never forgotten. I’ve tried to make sense of it, questioned what I saw and wondered whether there could have been another explanation… but honestly, I still don’t know.

My images are generated in AI using my own descriptions of what happened & based on how I remember the events and the people and places involved. The images help to bring the memories and stories to life and in some cases protect identities. The stories themselves are all authentically written by me and are based on my own lived experiences.

I’d really love to know what you think — and whether you’ve ever experienced anything strange or unexplained yourself.

Sharing and documenting all of my stories has been so therapeutic and I have so much more to share. As always, you’re welcome to send me your own stories to share anonymously. I’d genuinely love to hear them. 🤍 by @notedbypenn

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a month ago

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t what happened. It’s realising that the version you lived can become a completely different story in someone else’s hands.

For years, I stayed quiet. Not because I believed their version, but because I didn’t know how to tell mine without reopening everything.

This is one of my stories.

If you’ve ever experienced a friendship ending in a way that left you questioning what actually happened, you’re not alone.

If you feel comfortable sharing your stories, send me a DM. Let’s put the truth out there together. 🤍

Identities and identifying details have been changed for privacy. This is my recollection of events, told from my own perspective. The images are AI-generated illustrations and do not depict the people involved.

Follow along for more. by @notedbypenn

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a month ago