The Two Faces of Consistency

We talk a lot about consistency in art—showing up to the studio, posting regularly, maintaining a practice. But I've been thinking about consistency differently lately, and I want to share what I'm discovering.

There are really two kinds of consistency that matter in creative work, and they're more intertwined than I ever realized.

The Consistency of Showing Up

Yes, there's the consistency we all know we "should" have—the regular practice, the commitment to growth, the willingness to keep exploring even when it's hard. This is the consistency of showing up to try something new, like my recent experiment with water soluble oils. It's about being consistent in our curiosity, consistent in our willingness to learn, consistent in pushing ourselves beyond what's comfortable.

This kind of consistency isn't about perfection. It's about momentum. It's about saying "I'm still here, still learning, still growing" even when life gets messy and plans fall apart.

The Consistency That Feels Like Home

But then there's another kind of consistency—the consistency of how something feels.

You know that moment when you pick up the perfect brush and it just moves the way you need it to? Or when you mix a color that makes your whole heart sing? Or when you find that one pen that glides across the page exactly right?

This is the consistency of recognition. Of knowing. Of "yes, this is it."

It's the weight of your favorite palette knife in your hand. The texture of your go-to canvas. The exact shade of cadmium yellow that you reach for again and again because it never lets you down. These consistent elements—the tools, materials, and processes that feel right—they're not boring. They're anchors. They're the reliable ground beneath our feet that allows us to take risks everywhere else.

Finding Your Consistencies

Here's what I'm learning: both kinds of consistency matter, and they work together.

The consistency of showing up and exploring helps you discover what feels consistently right. And once you find those things—those colors, those tools, those processes that resonate—honoring them, returning to them, noticing them becomes part of what allows you to show up consistently.

It's not about rigidity. It's about recognition.

When you notice what makes your heart sing and you choose it again—that's not playing it safe. That's wisdom. That's knowing yourself. And that knowledge frees you to experiment everywhere else.

An Invitation

So here's my invitation to you this week: pay attention to your consistencies.

What are you consistent about? Where do you show up regularly to learn and grow?

And what feels consistently right to you? What tools do you reach for? What colors call to you? What processes make you lose track of time?

Notice both. Honor both.

Because consistency isn't just about discipline—it's also about devotion. Devotion to growth, yes. But also devotion to what feels true, what feels like home, what feels like you.

Find it. Embrace it. Notice it. In your art practice and in your life.

That's where the magic lives—right at the intersection of showing up consistently and honoring what consistently moves you.

What are your consistencies? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.