75% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
Potter's published Journal (1881-1897), confirmed via Google Books search-inside the printed edition
Sources checked
books.google.comChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026Google Books search-inside The Journal of Beatrix Potter 1881-1897 (ed. Linder) returns a positive page match (PA1886) for the exact phrase, confirming presence in the primary published journal.
Secondary source quoting the fuller journal line including the 'died of shyness or been killed with over pressure' parenthetical, corroborating the phrase as genuine diary text rather than aggregator paraphrase.
Nothing made from these words yet — Storyfaire is where they get made.
I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.Frida Kahlo