Welcome to 50 Tabs Open! Today, I’m chatting with Sumao who is calling in from Madrid, Spain. We spoke about creative blocks, the fear of starting again, and how building a gentle community can transform self-doubt into self-trust.
What a small world it is.
Sumao listened to my very first episode of 50 Tabs Open—and now, here she is… appearing on her first-ever podcast episode. With me.
What an honor.
What a joy.
We talked a lot. But then again, we have 50 tabs open.
This conversation felt like a couch conversation: warm, inspiring, empowering.
It felt like home.
Sumao is originally from India and has a background in fashion design.
After moving to Spain eight years ago, she explored different paths—including web design—before slowly returning to her first love: creating with color, shape, and story.
Though she once feared showing up online, she’s now embracing her artistic voice and building confidence through connection, play, and authenticity.
We also discussed how doing “nothing” is actually a creative superpower—and how “bored-out” is real, but so is the way back.
Inside this episode, we talk about:
The difference between burnout and “bored-out”
“Burnout is doing too much of what you don’t love. Bored-out is having the skill but losing the spark.”
The courage to begin again in a new country, a new language, a new season
“Every detour is a teacher. Nothing is wasted.”
Rebuilding trust in the internet and finding safety in community
“Imposter syndrome thrives in isolation. It withers in connection.”
The value of doing absolutely nothing—and why artists need that more than anyone
“Every artist should do nothing—because feeling everything takes energy.”
Creative blocks, imposter syndrome, and the quiet healing of community
“To combat creator’s block, we need community. Community gives us compassion. And compassion builds confidence.”
If I’m going to describe Sumao, she is this creative soul who tells her story in shapes, lines, colors, and patterns. A fashion designer by training, a web designer by profession, and an artist in the quiet corners of her heart—she brings beauty to life with her hands, her eyes, and her words.
We also talk about:
✨ How dopamine, play, and creative joy are deeply connected
✨ The pressure of algorithms vs the pull of authenticity
✨ Why boredom is the birthplace of brilliance
✨ Reclaiming rawness, spontaneity, and slow living in a fast-paced world
✨ Learning to be your own biggest cheerleader
“Art is not math. It doesn’t have one right answer.”
“You can draw the same flower as someone else—but only you can draw it your way.”
“Creativity doesn’t operate on a 9 to 5. It blooms in stillness. It bursts in motion.”
This episode is a love letter to all artists, dreamers, and overthinkers.
To anyone starting again. To anyone doing the scary thing anyway.
To those of us who create not for applause, but for aliveness.
Come listen. Come feel seen. Come sit with us.
50 tabs open—but hearts wide open, too.
Sumao’s Instagram: @sumao_dutta
Email: sumaodutta@gmail.com
Substack: Sumao Dutta
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