🎨 Tiny Habits, Big Moves, and Real-Deal Growth🍐🍏

Hey, everybody! Zarah here from Watercolor Wizardry, checking in with what feels like soul-to-soul creativity chat time. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s actually like building a creative business, teaching art, and wrangling all the real-life growth and chaos that comes with it—pull up a chair. This one’s for you.

Also...we have upgraded into a VODCAST!☕️✨You can watch from the Watercolor Wizardry Youtube Channel also. WOO HOO! 🥳

🍏 What’s New in My Studio (& Life)?
If you’ve caught my audio podcasts, you know I’m all about showing up with honesty—art wobbles, messy learning, and bright moments included. Well, this week, everything feels a little next-level: video podcasts are here, and I’m here sharing every awkward, awesome part of the artist-entrepreneur journey.

Here’s what’s going down:

🎨 Realistic Watercolor Foundations (A.K.A. “Make it Real!”)

We’re kicking things off in the Academy by diving deep into hyper-realistic watercolor. That means, before chasing wild abstracts or letting loose with whimsy, we’re building laser-precise skills and confidence layer by layer.
My first lessons? Painting a pear (sweet little thing on my desk) and now a shiny red apple—the same one from the thumbnail you probably clicked on. I do my studies on less fancy paper before leveling up to the good stuff (Arches paper, y’all). Hot tip: Don’t be afraid to practice ugly! The studies teach you where the magic (and mistakes) really happen.

🌄 Behind the Scenes: Honest Tech Fumbles & Habits

Last week, I accidentally left a YouTube stream running—whoops! People chatted for hours without me even knowing because I didn’t click “end stream” after the fact (rookie move, lol). Lesson learned: always double-check your tech.

On the life-habits front, I started waking up at 5 AM (cue the coffee!) to make more space for painting, business-building, and a little quiet before the world wakes up.
Not gonna lie—it’s tough, especially if sleep is being weird, but shutting down my phone an hour before bed is my new, hard-won self-kindness ritual. Highly recommend.

🙌 Come Hang Out: How You Can Join In

• Twice-Weekly Academy Lives:
  I go live in the Academy on Wednesday & Saturday mornings. It’s my fave part—getting to hang with members, answer questions, troubleshoot, and celebrate progress. (Sometimes I go live more often, depending on my energy and what needs sharing. #RealLife).

• Creator Community Saturdays:
  If you’ve ever grabbed anything from me, you’re invited! We talk all things business, art, and creative process.

• Want to Watch the Journey Unfold?
  I’ll be sending (almost) daily video podcasts and email check-ins—think progress logs, fresh lessons, and the stories behind every little breakthrough.
  (The big plan: Going LIVE with these updates, not anytime soon but someday. For now, you’ll get honest in-progress snapshots.)

🧠 Key Takeaways from This Week

• Start Small (But Start!)
  You don’t have to go all-in on expensive paper or perfect techniques out of the gate. Messy studies lead to mastery.

• Habits Win Out Over Hustle
  Waking up early, putting your phone down, or jumping into the next lesson—tiny shifts stack up.

• Community: Your Secret Weapon
  Whether you’re asking questions on livestream or cheering each other on in the Academy, building art with people keeps you moving.

• Tech (and Life) Won’t Always Cooperate
  Laugh through your YouTube mishaps, missed messages, and general chaos. It all adds up to learning.

• Share as You Go
  You don’t need to be “done” before sharing. Documenting your process can inspire others and keep you honest with yourself.

💪 Your Tiny Action Steps

• Pick One Skill to Practice:
  Spend 20 minutes today practicing something basic (like color mixing or a pear study). Don’t obsess over perfection—just do it!

• Unplug Early Tonight:
  Give your brain a break—try putting your phone away an hour before bed and notice the difference tomorrow.

• Connect & Ask:
  Feeling stuck? Send me your question for the next livestream or pop into Creator Community. You’re never alone on this path!

💡 The (Low-Key) Moral

Growth actually comes from the tiniest shifts. Whether it’s waking up before sunrise, painting a fruit, or learning (over and over) to laugh at the tech mishaps, staying in the game matters more than getting everything right.

Keep stacking those little wins, celebrate your experiments, and show up for yourself (and us!) daily. That’s where the magic and transformation really happen.

If you’re craving more watercolor wisdom, creative encouragement, and raw stories from the art-entrepreneur trenches, get on my update list at WatercolorWizardry.com or follow along on Instagram for IRL shenanigans.
Let’s make this journey beautiful together.

With paint on my hands and heart in my art,
Zarah 🧙‍♀️🎨

🎧 Want the full rambly version? Check out my latest podcast episode here: WW Vodcast – Tiny Habits, Big Moves, and Real Growth!