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The urgency of stepping aside
Insights happen to enter some of us. They shouldn’t stop there, but travel far beyond the person they came through.
Our story
Stepping aside
to step in.
“Hi, my name is Youri Hermes. Something stepped aside in my writing process, which paradoxically allowed me to deliberately step in and create books that were never really mine to begin with.”
You might recognise this in your own creative work, perhaps with different words. Here's how this paradox shaped everything that became Stepping Aside, and why it matters.
Part one · The origin
Before it all started.
Only after publishing his first trilogy, Remember to Forget, did Youri begin offering book mentoring and ghostwriting. Writers kept asking about his different approach to writing and publishing, so he started sharing what he'd learned firsthand.
He has since guided various writers to publish their work, many starting from scratch. His own books explore nondual insights, but the writers he works with can write about anything in the body–mind–spirit genre.
Two trilogies, two purposes
2023–2025 · Published
Remember to Forget
Emerged from necessity rather than strategy. These books simply had to be written, regardless of any business purpose. They now show the philosophy beneath Youri's approach, though that was never their intention.
2026–2027 · Unfolding
Stepping Aside
Aligned with his profession: exploring writing without a writer controlling it. It speaks to writers curious about letting their work unfold more authentically and effortlessly.
“You never know a book's true purpose until after it's written. The book decides, often surprising even its author.”
A book for every phase
Each phase called for its own book.
“First, I had to realise what stepping aside actually entails. Then remember it in countless ways. Then play with it. Only then could I apply it to something tangible: writing a book.”
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Phase I
Realising
Enlightenment, no refunds!
Stepping aside didn't happen when I decided to write; writing took place as soon as I stepped aside. It felt like enlightenment, and it had to be written down to give it a place. The book explores that great relief, and the difference between your false self and your true nature.
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Phase II
Remembering
Not your responsibility
Then I noticed how easy it is to fall back: stepping in to control things, feeling responsible for solving everything. Simple reminders weren't always enough. Sometimes you need dynamite, so I listed 60 direct interventions to stay in that sweet place of being.
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Phase III
Playing
Insert life-changing title here
Once everything seems alright, you might be ready to deliberately step in again, just to play. Setting goals again, without needing it to be spiritual. The relief of not solving life, and playing with it anyway.
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Phase IV
Applying
The Art of Unwriting
When there's no more interference, action becomes effective and authentic. Once the doer disappears, it flows. I applied this to writing: you're not the one who writes your book. It was incredibly fun to write, because I was simply the witness.
Part two · Our why
The best thinking often never escapes the room.
Why books, why stepping aside, and why it matters more now than ever.
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What we keep losing
The most valuable thinking often never escapes the room. Transcripts gather dust and reach no one beyond the table.
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Our book-shaped contribution
A book keeps working on its own: portable, lasting, and open to anyone who needs it, without a gatekeeper.
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Our human touch still matters most
AI can fill pages in seconds, but a book that carries substance was never a content problem. Lived experience can’t be prompted.
In conversation
On writing and authorship.
Jane Hardjono and Youri Hermes talk about what writing asks of us, and what happens when the writer steps aside. No lecture, just two people thinking out loud.
Jane HardjonoYouri Hermes49 minutes
There's a book in you.
Let it surface.
Find the way of working together that fits where you are now.
See the ways to work together →