🌺 Studio Scribbles - Tiny Wins Are Still Wins

Lemons into lemonade, am I right? If you’re reading this, you’re probably either deep in the weeds of your creative journey, thinking about learning watercolor, or right in the thick of building something from the heart. So... can we just take a minute to agree that this process is messy? Like, gloriously, confusingly, sometimes-frustratingly messy. 💛

So here’s the honest update: I’m right there in it with you.

🚀 The Academy Is Officially in Messy Beta

Right now I’m building the Watercolor Wizardry Academy. By “building,” I mean the walls are still wet, the paint is fresh, and the rooms echo a little when you walk through. We’re in beta launch mode, and yes—the doors are wide open! (Come say hi!) Inside, you’ll find...

• A quick start guide to get you comfy in the course

• Our creative community

• The “virtual campus” with live workshops

I bounce from writing lessons, to organizing the backend, to answering my own tech support tickets... you know how it is. One minute you’re prepping paints, the next you’re learning how to let people send your course as a GIFT (thanks, Kajabi tech updates 😅).

Is it all slick and shiny? Nope. But every new feature is a win, and every hiccup means I’m getting scrappier and smarter.  It's a little messy, like the typical back end of a network server.

🌱 Progress Isn’t Always “Pretty”

Life’s been throwing curveballs left and right—tech hiccups, creative stalls, you name it. I haven’t been as public lately, but I have been showing up. Sometimes that means actual painting; other times it’s just staring at a blank screen and thinking through the next step.  Today I'm in Academy as I write this blog, showing up for our weekly live meetups. 🤪

And you know what? That absolutely counts. We don’t talk enough about those “ugly stages”—not just in painting, but in life. There’s this pressure to have something to show off at every stage, but the truth is: real growth happens in those in-between moments, the ones that look like nothing’s happening at all.

So if you didn’t finish a painting, or you’re ten steps behind where you “should” be—that’s normal. That’s where the magic brews.

🙌 Celebrate the Little Wins. Make sure to celebrate them for yourself.

Here’s my challenge for you (and for me): Think of one small thing you managed this week that would absolutely thrill your past self. Say it out loud, write it on a sticky note, text it to your accountability buddy. Celebrate it. 🎉

Maybe you:

• Tried a new technique

• Sat down and thought about that project (that all counts, it's all positive movement!)

• Watched someone else create and got inspired

• Survived a week of chaos and still showed up for your dream

Every tiny step forwards is progress. Working it out in your head is still action. The marathon moments matter as much as the finish line.

👥 Community & Workshops – You’re Invited!

This weekend (Saturdays, 3:30pm - 4:30pm Pacific Time), we’ve got our Creator Community Hangout—a super casual Q&A where you can come, ask anything, and meet other creatives. It’s totally free to anyone who’s snagged a product from Watercolor Wizardry, Business Wizardry, or Creator Vodcast. 

If you want weekly encouragement and watercolor-specific tips, just sign up for an upcoming workshop. I aim for daily emails, but life throws fishing trips and family time at me, which I really value!  I’m making sure to make the most our of my every moment, while keeping this process as stress-free and intuitive as possible.

🧠 Key Takeaways from the Studio

• Showing up imperfectly still counts. Don’t let “ugly stages” discourage you.

• Community is everything. Sharing the journey makes the mess meaningful.

• Celebrate your tiny wins. They add up to big transformations.

• Tech hiccups and life messes are teachers, not barriers.

• Your journey—especially the sticky middle—is worthy just as it is.

💪 Action Steps for Your Creative Journey

• Write down one thing your past self would be amazed you pulled off this week.

• Join our next community hangout (or just peek inside the Academy!).

• Embrace a messy part of your work-in-progress. Take a photo. Share it if you’re brave!

• Trust that every step—even the mental prep and the tangled bits—they all count.

💡 The Moral (subtly, of course)

The real magic doesn’t just happen when you hang a finished painting—it’s in every “what now?” moment, every unglamorous hurdle, every stubborn return to your easel or screen. That’s where you become the artist and the person you want to be.

Keep going—especially when it’s messy. The messy middle is where the best stories and life's best breakthroughs start.

If you’re hungry for more studio updates, mindset sparks, or just want a peek behind the scenes, stay tuned for my next rambling email or pop into our Academy. Your journey is meant to be appreciated, loved, and shared.

With painty fingers and a hopeful heart, Zarah

🖌️ Watercolor Wizardry Academy – Building something magical, together.