🦕🛶 Consistency is Sexier than Genius

Newsletter Edition: 55

There’s something magical about showing up every day to make art, especially when you’re not trying to make it perfect.

We often wait for the right time, the right inspiration, or that perfect idea to strike before we pick up the brush or pen.

But honestly, consistency beats brilliance.

A quick, messy sketch drawn today holds more value than a masterpiece you keep postponing for weeks.

Creating "shitty" art every day, the kind you don't want to post online or show anyone is not a waste of time.

It’s proof that you’re showing up.

It's like a daily handshake with your creative self.

It builds rhythm, muscle memory, and most importantly, trust.

Trust that your creativity isn’t just a rare spark, but a fire you can keep alive every day.

Forget the pressure to complete something big. Instead, focus on just touching your tools daily. Even 10 minutes matter.

I’ve always been a lazy artist myself. But when I started keeping a sketchbook, my frequency of creating Art shot up.

And what did that have to do with my growth as an artist?

Actually, everything.

First, it made me consistent. It taught me the power of showing up. And consistency isn’t just for artists. Writers, coders, chefs, everyone can use it.

Once I became consistent, my creative skills got better. I had the confidence to teach others a thing or two. I started drawing more, and my lines improved.

My paint washes became minimal but powerful. I could do more with less.

One of the best things that happened over the last few years was starting my Substack newsletter. I showed up consistently every weekend to write.

Slowly, I built a rhythm.

I could type 800+ words straight from the heart and send out a newsletter every Sunday.

Now, if we think specifically about painting or drawing, how can we adopt this approach?

Here’s what I’ve learned from experience:

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1. Grow just 1% each time

This idea comes from a Japanese concept called Kaizen, which means “change for the better.”
The idea is simple: instead of aiming for big, scary improvements, you focus on tiny, daily steps.

Maybe today you refine your lines a little. Tomorrow, you think about a better composition. The next day, you choose a color more carefully. That’s it. Small steps every day add up.

I didn’t do anything extraordinary. I just trusted the process. And it worked. I think I got a little better every time I made something.

This quiet habit led me to one of my proudest creations. My own eBook on watercolor illustration.

It’s a 196-page guide filled with tips, techniques, and hand-drawn illustrations on every page.

If I hadn’t stayed consistent, improving just a little each time, I could never have finished it.

Looking back, it feels like the book almost created itself over three steady years.

You can check it out here.
Maybe it’ll inspire you to create more Art too.

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2. Keep a sketchbook even if you love working on big canvases

Think of the sketchbook as your gym. A no-pressure zone.
You’re not trying to create masterpieces here. You’re just stretching, playing, experimenting.

Over time, these pages become a mirror of your growth and curiosity.

I even made a Sketchbook Tour video you can see how every page tells a little story. It’s like reliving my art journey. Check it out below somewhere in this post.

Once, someone commented:
"I love your use of text in storytelling. Your lettering style is really fun. How did you learn it?"

I realized... I never actually "learned" it. Years and years of messy, casual lettering just evolved into something better over time.

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Checkout this Sketchbook Tour here:

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3. Figure out what motivates you

Find your “why.”
For me, it’s painting for my soul. I paint for myself first. It’s selfish, but it works.

And when I create for myself, the work feels more honest and alive and somehow connects better with others too.

I also divided my subjects into little series.

For example, I love painting my kids' shoes and documenting them in my sketchbook.
Whenever they get a new pair, I paint them.
Maybe it’s just my way of recording their growth.

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4. Drop the pressure of perfection

Perfectionism kills creativity.

I realised that my “Shitty” Art today isn’t a failure.
It’s a brick in the foundation of my future style.

This is perhaps one of the works on my Sketchbook that I wouldn’t want to post online. Yet I am doing it here today. Maybe I know it’s importance now.

Just like a musician plays a hundred wrong notes before playing the right one, artists have to make hundreds of “okay” paintings before making the one that truly shines.

So next time, don’t wait for the stars to align.

Pick up your brush.
Draw that crooked line.
Splash that wonky color.
And sign it anyway.

Because creativity doesn’t grow in the gaps between perfect projects.
It grows in the beautiful, messy act of showing up.

—End of Post—

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As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t even realize how effortlessly I ended up writing a 196-page book on watercolor over three years.

The reviews have started coming in, mostly through emails and comments on my Substack posts. I’m so happy to know that people have found it valuable and worth every penny.

But what I personally feel is that this book has become like a constant friend—someone you turn to whenever you’re feeling low.

The chapters are arranged in a way that you can open it up and read any section you feel drawn to at the moment. Some chapters are there to lift your spirits and motivate you, while others are packed with technical knowledge, explained in a simple, easy-to-implement way.

I haven’t put much effort into publishing it through a traditional publisher, and for now, I want to keep it that way—independent and personal.

Every purchase not only supports me financially but also helps me keep creating and sharing more.

Would you like to check out my eBook?

Would you like to check out my eBook?