Lessons from Consistency

Consistency. It's the quiet power behind growth.
It is the foundation everything meaningful is built on.

Not how you feel on a given day.
Not how successful or unsuccessful you were yesterday.
Not how you measure up against others.

It’s about showing up, again and again and again, especially when you don’t feel like it.

This truth applies not just to art, but to nearly every area of life. If you want to build muscle, you don’t do it by thinking about going to the gym. You do it by going, and going consistently. On the days when you’re motivated and inspired, and on the days when you’d rather stay in bed.

That’s been my theme this year: keep showing up.

There have been so many mornings when I’ve wanted to hit snooze instead of waking up early to create art. And honestly, there have been plenty of mornings when I did hit snooze. I’m far from perfect. But I’ve noticed the pattern that follows those choices... the slow spiral that begins with, “Just five more minutes.”

It starts small, but then I hit snooze again the next day. And the next. Before long, the negative thoughts creeps in.
You’re lazy.
You’re failing.
You’re not capable.

It is a dangerous spiral. When inaction starts to shape not just our days, but our self-perception. It’s amazing how quickly our habits can shift our mindset, how easily we start to see ourselves through the lens of our own inconsistency.

But here’s the good news: the spiral works in the other direction too.

When I make the conscious decision to show up again (to get up when the alarm goes off, to pick up the paintbrush, to write even a few sentences) it changes something inside me. Each small act of consistency rebuilds trust in myself.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about returning. Again and again.

No matter how many days I’ve fallen off track, I can always start again today. That’s the part that takes effort at first. It sometimes feels heavy or uncomfortable and at times even discouraging, but over time, those little moments of showing up start to form a habit.

A healthy habit. 

You become the person who creates every day.
The person who chooses to nourish their body with good food.
The person who keeps showing up, especially when it’s hard.

Others will talk about how impressed they are with (whatever it is your are making progress towards) and at that time it becomes your job to remind them it isn't that you have super human strength or talent, that they too can make that kind of progress towards their goals, the secret is... just keep showing up. 

The truth is, consistency isn’t glamorous. It’s quiet. It’s often invisible. But it’s what transforms our lives, our art, how we see ourselves, and our relationships with others.

So wherever you are today, start there. Show up, even in a small way.
That’s where growth begins.

This blog post was inspired by the healthy habits I have been creating this past month by doing Inktober. Forcing myself to create every day, no matter what.

Though I am grateful to have completed the challenge and look forward to working on larger projects in the next few weeks with the time I have gained back. However, I am so appreciative of this challenge because it has gotten me into the habit of working on prints every day. This allows me to accomplish my larger projects quicker than if I left them for when I felt like it.

So I am grateful Inktober landed where it did for me in this artistic journey because it was the perfect way to start out building these habits for my creative business. Thanks Inktober, you taught me a lot this year. I look forward to doing it again next year!