Ask any content creator, and they'll have this one common advice - Consistency.
The answer to the question of why one should be consistent with their endeavour can be the following:
so that you stick to a schedule
so that your audience knows you stick to your schedule
so, therefore, your audience knows when to expect a finished product from you
so that you can let your audience know they can trust you with their time and attention
so that you don't let your audience feel betrayed when you post irregularly
so that you can get feedback and make improvements
so that your audience stays in your content loop, and therefore remains your audience
so you will _____ goal (this can be followers, email list, listeners, clients, money in your bank account or any validating titles)
All these are valid points to stay consistent.
But they all are outward-focused.
The majority of these answers don't say what's in it for the artist/creator to stay consistent on a deeper personal level.
So let's, for one moment, remove all the externals rewards we hope we will receive out from our focus.
Let's focus on the internal rewards.
Ask yourself the question again.
Why should I be consistent with ______? (Fill in the blank with an activity of your choice)
Here's why I think I should be consistent with my writing:
Practice
Plain and simple.
Practice doesn't make one perfect. No one and nothing in life are perfect.
What practice can do is improve your skills.
A Vote To Self
Earlier, when I said that I am a writer, I didn't feel it warm my heart.
Now, when I call myself a writer, I feel proud.
Why?
Because I have been writing and posting content online for four months now.
We don't realise this, but when we say something to ourselves or promise ourselves something, we let our subconscious trust us. We let that child in us believe us.
We break that trust when we don't live up to that promise.
And then it makes our subconscious and our inner child challenging to trust us again.
Now my subconscious knows I am telling the truth when I say I am a writer.
And my inner child is happy to be living its dream.
Makes You Trust The Process
When you are consistently working on a project, a part of you has to surrender.
You have to believe that something good will come out of this work, even if you don't see it right away.
Actually, Give Your 100 Percent
You can't write/paint/draw/sing/sketch once a month and hope to succeed.
Staying consistent makes sure you give 100 per cent to your art.
More Ideas
By staying consistent, I have noticed that I have sharpened my skill of grabbing ideas when they present themselves.
And who doesn't want more ideas to work on in the future?
Discover Your Artist Self
Are you a plotter or pantser?
Are you a word-count person or a time-block person?
Can you post daily, or can you post weekly? Monthly? Yearly?
Do you need solitude, or the busy cafe atmosphere works for you?
Do you create first thing in the morning or later in the day?
Are you reward-motivated or process-motivated?
Do you need an outline?
Do you need coffee?
Do you need music?
All this and more can be discovered when you consistently work on your craft.
You don't need to purposefully look for these answers. They come up on their own when you are deep in the flow of your art.
Finally, Believe In Yourself
This is the breakthrough you most definitely want to happen.
When you consistently create, you start to believe that you have what it takes to make it as an artist.
This has nothing, and this should have nothing, to do with how the audience is reacting to your work.
The only proof you need to believe in yourself is the fact that you wouldn't have this dream to become an artist if it wasn't already in you.
You are simply now acting on that dream.
So yes, while staying consistent has its worldly benefits, you must remain consistent for the sake of your art and for yourself.
More in the Art For Art’s Sake Series -
Your Job As A Writer Is To Write
To Build Your Writing Career, Start Small.
What Does It Mean To “Trust The Process?”
Consistency Will Help You Make A Breakthrough
You Must Stay Persistent With Your Creative Journey
Deliberate Practice Is The Key To Master The Craft Of Writing
Go Low, Slow And Steady. And You’ll Reach Your Writing Milestones Quicker.
Treat Your Art As An Experiment
If You Are Not Having Fun While Creating, You’re Doing It Wrong
Nice 😊