🍏 The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Mess: My Real-Life Art & Biz Diary

You ever start a painting thinking, “This’ll be fun!”—and then suddenly you’re in a full-on wrestling match with your supplies? 😂 That was me this week, live and unfiltered, inside Watercolor Wizardry Academy.

If you’ve ever wanted to see what really goes on behind those perfect Instagram art posts—spoiler: it’s not all sunshine and rainbows—you’re in the right place. This is my not-so-glamorous, kinda messy, totally authentic peek at what building art (and a creative community) looks like day to day.

🍎 Hot Takes From the Apple Frontlines

So. I decided to tackle the first layer of a Macintosh apple, using my “study” paper—a rough, cold press thing from BEE Watercolor Journal (which is, let’s be real, nowhere near as dreamy as Arches Hot Press).

Was it a pain? Oh, absolutely. That paper fought back—paint bled, edges got weird... yeah, you saw it all if you were watching live! But honestly, I wouldn’t do it any other way. When people ask, “How do you get better at watercolor?” I always wanna say, “By making weird stuff happen on imperfect paper and talking yourself through it—out loud.” That’s the magic, right there.

Fun fact: We’re layering in green tomorrow. If you know anything about mixing red and green, you know why that might get... interesting. 😅 (If you don’t know, hint—primary color workshop is in the works, so stay tuned!)

👩‍🎨 Real Community > Perfect Art

Can I just say—I LOVE the vibe in our little Academy (and if you’re reading this, you’re probably my people, too). Lately, I’ve been showing up every day to paint, chat, just hang out. On Wednesdays  I even hit “go live” for the whole internet—mistakes and all.  

This week I even forgot to turn off my YouTube stream... so if you saw an awkward ending in chat, that was me, learning as I go. Shrug! That’s how it is when you’re building something in real time. We’re all learning, fumbling, laughing together.  That's how learning how to paint goes too.. it's not going to be perfect, it's going to be a fun journey when you make it that way.

And for my Creator Community—love you!! If you’ve bought anything or ever grabbed a freebie, you’re in the crew. We have all kinds of humans: watercolor-obsessed, business nerds, and creative mindset explorers. I go live there once a week; you can always pop in.

🍐 Pear Project (And Why Course Building is Just... Layers on Layers)

Not gonna lie: editing and packaging up new courses has me in a headlock right now. I’m turning the pear painting into its own standalone workshop using Kajabi (if you’re into online teaching, this tool is chef’s kiss)... But it’s not just, “Hey, watch me paint a pear.” I’m building a whole Introduction to Hyper module—think introduction to realistic watercolor, with all the steps and mental prep for the ugly stage. It's looking to be eight video lessons I'll be editing. 

I'm excited about using the Group Coaching product because I'm looking forward to doing 7 day online coaching weeks in the future, with the world.  We might tackle a specific subject or tackle foundations with something like color mixing.  And, of course, Watercolor Wizardry Academy members get access to everything I make that has anyting to do with watercolor. 🥳

🧠 Key Takeaways (aka Stuff I Keep Telling Myself)

• Everything awesome sometimes starts with an awkward phase, especially while it's being created and that's where the gold happens.

• Show up. Tiny progress is still progress!

• Your people want the honest stuff, not just the shiny.

• Tech mistakes = funny stories for next time. (this is so true, I'm still laughing at myself. 😂)

• Primary colors (and all basics) are never a waste of time to revisit. 

💪 Dares for You (Yes, You)

• Paint on the “wrong” paper—see what you learn when it fights back.

• Go live in your favorite group or with a friend—share the process, even if it’s a wobble.

• Ask something embarrassing in the community. I bet you 3 other people have the same question.

• Teach a newbie what you just learned (even if you learned it the hard way).

💡 The Real Secret (But Quietly)

Turns out, real growth in art, business, life stuff... happens as you go, out loud, with other humans. It’s messy, it’s hilarious, and that’s actually the juice. Don’t wait for your “good” paper or perfect day. Just. Start. Layer by layer, bit by bit—you’re doing it. 🍏

I know it doesn't look like much but I am very happy with our first day!

🎨 Wanna join the fun, get workshop invites, or just hear what weird color I spilled today? Sign up to a workshop waitlist and get my daily shenanigans in email!  😂 

Messy studio, happy heart,
Zarah
Your Resident Watercolor (Work in Progress) Wizard 🧙‍♀️✨

🎧 Listen to the full story: The Watercolor Wizardry Journey – 🍏 The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Mess: My Real-Life Art & Biz Diary 🚀