🎨 Beta Mode and Messy Progress!

How Scrapping Everything Sparked My Best Creative Work Yet

Hey watercolor friends! 👋 If you’re new here, I’m Zarah from Watercolor Wizardry—deep in the thick of rebuilding my artist life, business, and wonderful Watercolor Wizardry Academy, all from the ground up. Today, I want to talk about what happens when you go “back to beta.” You know, those moments when you step back, question everything, and are like, should I just scrap it and start over?

Well... I did. 😅 And honestly, it’s feeling more energizing and true than ever.

🌱 From Missed Days to Messy Progress

Let’s keep it real: I missed a couple podcast days. Oops. Life happens—one minute you’re firing off daily updates, the next minute it’s rabbit holes, reorganizing, and creative clutter tumbling out everywhere.

But here’s the thing: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about getting back up, again and again. My journey as an artist AND as a creative entrepreneur is basically a constant cycle of “action, reflect, regroup, repeat.”

I want you to see my process, wobbles included—because that’s where the honest growth (and art magic!) happens. Right now the Watercolor Wizardry Academy is in beta mode—lowest price, deepest access, and probably the MOST time I’ll spend inside the community, because this is where I’m building all the foundations.

🖼️ Why I Scrapped Everything (and Built Something Better)

This season, I dropped my previous content and started fresh. Why? Because when your vision changes, it’s so important to follow it—even if the old stuff was “working” or looked pretty. A program or project that isn’t alive for me won’t serve you, either.

My big focus? Hyper-realistic watercolor. That means starting from the tiniest, most intentional foundation—so you can build real confidence, skill, and results you’re excited to share (not just “dabble and hope for the best” 😉).

I want the Academy to grow with you, to be a place of real connection and honest progress. We’re launching new resources all the time, like my latest step-by-step guide for turning a photo into a pencil sketch in Affinity Photo (hello, freebie alert!). Academy members, this is in the course, under Solo Hyper Projects.

🧰 What’s Brewing: Resources, Hangouts, and the Art of Tinkering

Right now, I’m obsessed with figuring out all the behind-the-scenes stuff too (shoutout to my fellow business nerds 📊). Kajabi is my playground—setting up freebies, offers, hangouts... honestly, sometimes I wish I had an assistant, but I love cracking the system myself. Someday, I’ll help you set up your own.

If you’re inside the Academy, here’s some good news:

• New Weekend and Weekday Hangout Sessions: I’ll be in our community, connecting live on weekends+Wednesday mornings. Come hang out, paint, or just chat!

• Starter Pack Supplies Guide: From pro paper (Arches is my fav, but there are others) to brushes you can get away with, and why pro paint makes hyper-realism easier. Yes, it matters—don’t let cheap paper ruin your art.  it's your most important supply.

• Step-by-Step Goodness: That software step-byste- resource is up now—try it for free, while it lasts!  Academy members have it in the Solo Hyper Projects section of the course.

🧠 Key Takeaways from the Beta Trench

• Alignment Over Perfection: Letting go of what looked good, but didn’t feel right, made space for real growth.

• Foundations Matter: Hyper-realistic skills = confidence in everything you paint after.

• Business is Art Too: I geek out over platforms and processes—find joy in the backend, not just the brush.

• Community Counts: During this time (especially while in BETA) is probably the most you’ll see of me—so if you crave real-time community, now’s your chance.

💪 Action Steps for Your Creative Practice

1. Try the New Resource: Grab the photo-to-pencil-sketch guide in the Academy & play around. (Free, for now!)

2. Join a Hangout: Jump into a live session—ask questions or just soak up the vibe.

3. Upgrade Your Supplies: If you can, invest in pro paper or paint. It’s game-changing.

4. Reflect, Reset, Repeat: Don’t be afraid to start fresh if things don’t feel aligned. Progress > perfection.

💡 The (Low-Key) Moral

Sometimes the bravest, most necessary thing is letting go—of old versions, missed days, or “successful” stuff that just doesn’t light you up. Starting over isn’t failure. It’s space for magic.

Your journey is absolutely allowed to be messy and full of rabbit holes. What matters is getting up, tinkering again, and sharing the honest ride. That’s where your real art—AND business—will flourish.

If you want almost-daily encouragement, behind-the-scenes updates, or just a place to grow with others building from the heart, come hang out at WatercolorWizardry.com. (Sign up for the list, beta details, and more. We’re just getting started.)

See you at the easel,
Zarah 🧙‍♀️✨

🎧 P.S. – Want to hear the full, rambly update? Click the image and check out the latest podcast episode!
🎨 For all my daily ramblings, free resources, and future workshops, get on the list at WatercolorWizardry.com

#hyperrealisticwatercolor #artistjourney #onlineartacademy #betalaunch #creativityunfiltered