The Middle of a Long Project
April feels calm.
No flights. No major events. No dramatic change in scenery. Just studio days and a steady rhythm.
At the beginning of this month, I will be more than halfway through my 100 day painting project. One small gouache painting a day. Nothing elaborate. Just consistent.
The beginning of a project is exciting. Everything feels fresh. The end will feel celebratory.
The middle is different.
The middle is where enthusiasm is replaced by discipline. Where novelty fades and routine takes over. Where you decide, quietly and repeatedly, to keep going.
There is something deeply strengthening about this part.
Showing up when it is not new anymore. Mixing paint even when nothing groundbreaking happens. Painting even on the days when the idea feels simple.
Consistency Builds Confidence
Halfway through, I am not chasing inspiration. I am building stamina.
Most of life is lived in ordinary weeks. The in between. The middle stretch.
It is easy to believe that progress only happens during big launches or dramatic seasons. But most growth happens on regular Tuesdays.
Confidence is built in repetition. Skill is built in repetition. Trust in yourself is built in repetition.
Growing in Quiet Seasons
For those of you running small businesses, you know this. Your brand is not shaped by one viral moment. It is shaped by the steady work no one sees. The emails sent. The products refined. The small improvements made quietly over time.
And for those simply trying to build better habits in your own life, the same is true. The gym session that feels unremarkable. The meal cooked at home. The walk taken even when you did not feel like it.
Building in ordinary weeks is not glamorous. But it is powerful.
This month, I am leaning into the middle. Not rushing to the finish. Not looking backward at the excitement of day one.
Just painting. One small square at a time.
There is strength here. And I am grateful for it.
