Halfway There

We’re officially halfway through 2026, which feels both impossible and somehow exactly right.

Looking back, I think the first quarter of the year was more productive than the second, at least on paper. Much of the past few months have been spent refining my website and portfolio - work that wasn’t always visible but was necessary all the same. Now that it’s finished, I can honestly say I’m proud of what I’ve created.

Outside of work, trips to Lisbon and Snowdon became unexpected highlights of the season. Both offered a chance to step away from my screen, see something new, and reconnect with the creative side of myself that had started to feel a little distant.

Not everything went according to plan. The weekly art prompts I committed to gradually fell away, and for a while I felt guilty about that. But at the same time, I’ve found myself creating more freely and spending more time designing. Sometimes progress doesn’t arrive in the form we expect it to.

If I’m honest, I’ve found it difficult to stay positive throughout parts of this journey. Completing the website felt like a milestone, but it also marked the beginning of the next challenge: putting my work out into the world and pursuing licensing opportunities.

The reality is that I have the tools I need. What I’m wrestling with now is fear.

Rejection is never particularly enjoyable, but creative rejection feels different. My artwork feels deeply personal. It’s shaped by my interests, my experiences, and the way I see the world. Sharing it feels vulnerable, and the possibility of hearing “no” can sometimes feel like a personal judgement on more than just the work itself.

I’m also someone who likes to be prepared. I like plans, certainty, and knowing what comes next. Creative careers don’t offer much of that.

And yet, despite all of those fears, I keep coming back to the same thought: every step is still progress.

When I look back two years, I couldn’t have imagined any of this. I couldn’t have imagined building a portfolio, launching a website, writing a blog, designing collections, or calling myself an artist without immediately feeling uncomfortable.

So perhaps that’s the real measure of progress.

Not how quickly things happen, but how much courage it takes to keep going.

For now, I’m choosing to keep moving forward. To keep learning, creating, sharing, and trying.

And maybe that’s what going all in looks like - not certainty of success, but the willingness to continue even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.