Today, online audiences are primarily looking for raw emotions and meanings they can lean on. A prime example of such communication is the blog of declaimer Yulia Slobodyanyuk. By combining the recitation of modern poetry, cooking, UGC creation, and live performances across the country within her platform, she has gathered a large community where sincerity has become the main compass.
However, behind every atmospheric video lies serious behind-the-scenes work: honing voice-over skills, time management, and a constant search for balance between publicity and personal life. Exclusively for the international magazine Business Woman, we spoke with Yulia about how her journey began amidst doubts, how to develop your own unique sound without copying others, and what steps beginners paralyzed by “imposter syndrome” should take.
Yulia, you have been successfully developing your blog for several years now, inspiring many women through poetry recitation and diverse content creation. Where did your creative journey begin?
My journey did not begin on a big stage, nor did it start on social media. It began with a single poem that perfectly mirrored my inner state at that moment. I simply wanted to share it so that people wouldn’t just hear the words, but feel what was in my soul.
That was the exact moment I realized how deeply poetry can connect people. When people started writing that they recognized themselves, their own feelings, and their stories in those lines, I realized I wanted to keep going. Gradually, that one poem grew into everything that is a part of my life today: the blog, poetry evenings, creative projects, and a large community of people for whom the spoken word carries weight.
I never set a goal to just “run a blog.” I always wanted to create a space where people could experience emotions, find support, or discover inspiration. For me, the greatest value is when a person doesn’t just swipe past a video after watching it, but takes something meaningful away from it.
Today, many women are afraid to share their thoughts as freely as you do. They are paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake or not receiving support. How did your closest circle react when you started sharing your creativity?
I think fear is present in absolutely everyone who starts speaking openly about themselves. And I was just as afraid. There will always be those who won’t like something, who will judge, or who simply won’t understand. But at some point, I realized: it is much scarier to stay silent and not do what your soul longs for.
My inner circle didn’t all react the same way. Some supported me from my very first steps, some genuinely didn’t understand why I needed this, and others just watched. And that is completely normal. Not everyone has to believe in your dream right away. Sometimes people only start believing when they see actual results.
But ultimately, I found the most crucial support within my audience. When people started writing to me that my videos helped them get through a difficult period, make an important decision, or simply feel that they weren’t alone—I knew that none of this was in vain.
Therefore, I want to say to every woman: don’t wait for the moment when you stop feeling afraid. That moment is unlikely to ever come. Just take the first step. It is often that very first step that changes your life far more than years of hesitation.
Currently, you are developing not only in the field of poetry recitation, but also in the UGC direction and cooking, at the very least. Added to this are business trips for performances in various cities across Ukraine. How do you structure your schedule to maintain this rhythm and still dedicate time to your loved ones?
In reality, behind the beautiful aesthetic on social media lies a massive amount of planning.
My schedule changes daily: today it’s a commercial shoot, tomorrow it’s a poetry evening in another city, and the day after that it’s creating new content or attending business meetings. However, the main thing I have learned is not to try to do absolutely everything. Instead, I simply identify what is truly important to me on that specific day.
I love having a clear plan, but at the same time, I always leave room for spontaneity. After all, inspiration doesn’t follow a strict timetable. Despite such an intense pace, it is a matter of principle for me to find time for my loved ones. To achieve this, I simply set clear priorities and separate work from my personal life.
You are extremely active both on social media and in real life. How do you find a balance between work tasks and seeking inspiration for your creativity? What helps you systematize your self-improvement and blog management?
My main source of inspiration is people. Messages from followers, their personal stories, the emotions shared after poetry evenings, or simple words of gratitude remind me every single time why I started this in the first place. When you clearly understand that your creativity helps someone, it motivates you to keep moving forward and develop even more.
I don’t strive to be productive every single minute. If I feel tired, I allow myself to rest without guilt. I truly believe that only a person who is fulfilled from within can inspire others.
Reciting poetry is quite an uncommon activity that requires exceptional public speaking skills, particularly proper voice placement. What specific methods do you choose to improve your oratorical abilities? What daily exercises can you recommend to make the voice stronger and more resilient?
Of course, at one point I underwent professional training in voice acting, narration, and dubbing. This gave me a solid foundation and helped me understand how to work with my voice as an instrument.
But to be completely honest, what helped me the most was observation and immersion. In the very beginning, I found a girl who also recited poetry, and her style resonated with me deeply. I listened carefully to how she worked with text: where she paused, where she shifted her intonation, where she spoke almost in a whisper, and where, conversely, she added power to her voice. I didn’t copy her, but through her, I learned to feel the rhythm of the words.
I believe this is exactly how a unique, individual sound is formed. First, you get inspired by those you admire, you observe a lot, analyze, and practice. Over time, your own personal style breaks through—the one by which people begin to recognize you among hundreds of others.
Therefore, to everyone just starting out, I would advise not being afraid to learn from someone else. Watch, listen, and break down the techniques of those who inspire you. But always remember the main thing—do not try to become someone else’s copy. Each of us has our own voice, and that voice is our greatest strength.
Business trips, project management, and an intense rhythm of life involve a high volume of communication, which can be exhausting. Have you ever experienced professional or emotional burnout due to such dense interaction with people? How do you restore your energy after a busy trip?
Such moments happen to everyone who is constantly on the move and works extensively with people. I am no exception.
Over time, I simply learned to listen to myself before it’s too late. If I feel my resources are at zero, I never try to push through the exhaustion. For me, recovery is not a luxury; it is a basic necessity. Sometimes it’s enough for me to just be alone with myself, read a book, spend an evening with loved ones, spend time in nature, or simply arrange a day completely free of phones and work tasks.
Travel helps a lot. Even if it’s for work, a change of scenery, new cities, and new faces often don’t drain me, but rather fill me with fresh emotions. But most of all, my poetry evenings restore my strength. When audience members come up to me after a performance with tears in their eyes, thanking me for the words or sharing their personal stories, I instantly remember why I do all of this. Those are the exact moments that give me the energy to keep moving forward.
Your blog harmoniously combines poetry, lifestyle, and expert content. How do you sense what can be shared with the audience and what is better left behind the scenes? Where does the boundary between “personal” and “public” lie for you?
For me, a blog is definitely not a diary where you have to broadcast absolutely everything. I always try to share content that can be useful, can inspire, or simply evoke an emotion in a person. That is why poetry, lifestyle, cooking, travel, and creative projects blend so naturally on my page—they are real parts of my life that I genuinely want to share.
However, there are things I consciously keep only for myself. I am convinced that one’s personal life should not become public property just because you run a blog and have an audience. There must remain moments that you want to experience without a camera, strictly with your closest people. For me, this boundaries is highly valuable.
What advice do you have for beginners who want to start a blog but still struggle with “imposter syndrome” or doubt whether their creativity will interest anyone but themselves? What is the very first step you would advise them to take today?
The very first thing I want to say is: don’t wait for the moment when you believe in yourself one hundred percent. It seems to me that such a moment simply does not exist, and doubts happen to absolutely everyone. Even now, with years of work and a large audience behind me, I can still get incredibly nervous before every new project or performance.
My own first step back then was as simple as possible—I just recorded one poem. Without a written strategy, without big expectations that it would somehow change my life. I did it simply because I wanted to share what was in my soul. Sometimes, it is precisely such a small action that marks the beginning of a great journey.
Therefore, my advice is: stop putting yourself on hold for “later.” If you have long wanted to start a blog, record your first video, or show your creativity to the world—do it today. Don’t worry about an ideal picture, complex algorithms, or view counts. Focus on the fact that, perhaps, your words will become a source of support or inspiration for someone out there. And for that reason alone, it is definitely worth starting.
Photo: from the heroine’s archive