The Power Of Showing Up & Staying Consistent

The pep talk you needed to stay focused and on track for the rest of 2024

Aug 15, 2024

Hello!

How are you?

I’m sipping coffee at 6:43am while it’s raining outside and Lux is still in bed. It seemed like the perfect time to write to you all.

I wanna talk about consistency, which is a boring, unsexy word that doesn’t get enough credit so I’m here to re brand it and make it fun!

Before we get consistent, let’s fill you in on the goings on lately.

I Got In!

I submitted to an open call a while back and guess what baby?!? I GOT IN!

I was selected to be a part of the 2024 Gold Coast Triennial at HOTA Gallery and the exhibition runs for 6 months. That is the longest I’ve ever been shown and this is a proper big girl gallery so I AM STOKED!

Works will be acquired by the gallery for their permanent collection too so I’m really honoured to even be thinking that may be a possibility. Cross your fingers for me!

I almost didn’t submit to this because I was so busy, and also scared.

So let this be your sign to always put yourself and your work forward!

I’m on a plane

Lux and I had the pleasure of travelling to Melbourne to work with one of my favourite brands Radical Yes and it was like all my fashion dreams came true!

Truely an honour to be offered the opportunity to see the behind the scenes of a label and I work so closely with them for two days.

Stay tuned for a fun video of me getting a tour of their office/studio in the heart of Melbourne!

Someone else was on a plane

I also had the immense pleasure of working with Cassie Byrnes (artist, mother, designer, legend) who runs the Melbourne label Variety Hour on some documentary style videos about their latest collection.

Cassie flew to the Gold Coast to work with Lux and I, also another pinch me moment as I have been a fan of the brand for a while now.

I’m making a tote bag for film shooters!

I know Willie V has already taken the spot of photography YouTuber turned fashion designer, but hey there is room for one more right?!

Okay, so I wouldn’t really call it fashion design but I would call it the Photo Walk Tote Bag!

Designed by Oddish studio and featuring a pocket for your film rolls and a little message to keep you snapping away on your travels, this bag is gonna be your best friend on a photo walk.

Sneak peek below of a rough mock up. Make sure you are subscribed to this newsletter so you don’t miss out on the launch and the giveaway!

The Art Of Consistency & How It Pays Dividends

Life really is just a result of all the things you do, and don’t do…

All the old adages come to mind here for me, like “you are what you eat”

This notion of what you put in, you get out.

On social media, it can sometimes feel like the juice isn’t worth the squeeze and I totally get it - you have to think about it like this though…

You only need 1 or 2 of the right people to see what you are doing, creating, saying etc. and you are golden.

You don’t need vanity metrics, you need human beings in the right places, spaces or communities to recognise you and then take action with you.

This is where I think people get so caught up on socials and then they get negative and spiral and quit, then they come back, because they have something they are excited about to share and then wonder why there is no one there to care?

It’s a viscous cycle and the antidote is,

Consistency.

The answer is always consistency.

Because without consistency there is no story, no linear narrative of how you came to be, no path for people to follow and no body of work to show. People want to draw a line from where you started to where you are now.

Consistency is the path to great things happening, but it’s a bit of a slog tbh.

Let’s use myself as an example, so you aren’t reading this rolling your eyes being like “it’s all well and good for these internet people to preach this to someone who only has 300 followers and no reach” I hear you.

I have been perpetually online now for 3 years - nights spent filming YouTube videos, writing posts in Luca’s naptime, crying over mean comments on YouTube, having many doubts about what the fuck I’m really doing and if it will come to anything, pivoting to client work (something I never thought would happen), and now ultimately earning a living that supports my family through the power of showing up for 3 years straight.

You might not be wanting to quit your 9-5 and become a YouTuber or content creator but you likely have a dream and ambitions for your creativity?

You wanna make a zine

You wanna have a show

You wanna start a YouTube channel

You wanna host a workshop

Whatever it is, it will require consistency, it will require showing up, it will require you just doing the thing and eventually it will compound.

It’s kind of like investing, which admittedly I don’t know much about but I have started doing because I can’t buy a house in this market so I gotta do something to plan for my future…. so snp 500 it is.

We all search for the reasons why someone is successful. We want to know how they got to where they are right?

Whilst there might be some lucky breaks, good timing and nepotism, thrown in for good measure, it’s normally largely down to commitment and consistency.

No one can take hard work away from you and it’s the best habit to hone.

Implementing Consistency

So how do you actually be consistent?

You need a plan my friend…

But before you have a plan you need goals and a vision

Where do you want to be?

What do you really want to achieve or become?

Whats the outcome?

You want to be recognised as an artist…let’s use this example and break down some steps you can take like literally today!

Write down what you do, what does your work involve? What is the style, niche, message, vibe? Who are you alongside it and how is this unique? Don’t worry if it’s not to a tee, this can change and flow but get down the gist of who you and your art are.
What are your goals, dream, hopes and aspirations? You can list them out and they can be HUGE and seem unachievable (everyone should have one of those at least, mine is shoot for Chanel, Gucci, Prada etc. lol) but also list out things that are small and achievable too, so you can start ticking things off the list and get that dopamine hit that makes you wanna strive for the next thing.
Look at your list and map out how you will get to each thing? If you want your work to be shown in a particular gallery then how can you start submitting, networking and creating things to share in the places that those types of people might see?
From the above exercise you will be able to make another list of things you need to do, posts you need to make, projects you need to work on and places and people you should get aquatinted with
Probably a good idea to start documenting this process online or having some kind of presence somewhere that will allow you to connect and cultivate community right? So is it IG, is it here on Substack, are you a Gen Z person who maybe should jump on TikTok and start a “diary of an aspiring artist” vlog series?!?
Once you know the platform and the medium you can create a plan that will help you stay consistent. E.g. posting twice a week on IG and everyday on stories with the aim to get in the groove and find like minded people. What are other artists doing online? Follow them, chat to them and get amongst it!
If you need help with ideas my 52 content ideas for creatives and artists is PERFECT. We all know how hungry the internet is so this is your go to PDF to pull up and choose from for a post idea. It will help you to share real, authentic posts as opposed to lazy trends that we often resort to when we don’t know what to post. Grab it here and never be out of ideas again!
Always be going back to your list and your goals and ensuring that the path you are on leads to these things. If not then reassess and refocus your time and energy. Keeping your eye on the ball of your goal and your why, will be like your north star in amongst the noise of this modern world.
PLEASE NOTE - If you start to compare yourself, feel bad, want to give up or suddenly think you should be doing X thing because someone else is, PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN!!! People sometimes just take a week off but then they find it hard to get back on the horse…I would just post your stuff, reply to your own comments and DM’s and then get the fuck off the platform to protect yourself. You will find if you don’t engage in it all it will pass and you will be back on track in no time. You got this!

More questions? Comment below and let me know and I’m here to help!

Love Lucy

Discussion about this post