Have you ever felt like you’re pouring your heart into something—your art, your business, your dream—only to watch it get buried in a sea of others? Maybe you’ve scrolled through Etsy or Instagram and thought, "Why even bother? Everyone’s already doing this."

If that feeling is familiar, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, more times than I can count. The truth is, the creative marketplace is saturated. But that doesn't mean it’s hopeless. In fact, it's where the magic happens—when you choose to persist, to show up, even when it’s hard.

Today, I want to talk about the not-so-glamorous but incredibly powerful duo of persistence and consistency—and why they might just be your superpowers in a world of endless noise.

It’s easy to look at someone else's "success story" and assume it all happened overnight. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll almost always find years of effort, trial, error, and quietly showing up behind the scenes.

When I started Honeyfield Design Co. in 2010, I had big dreams and no clue how to make them happen. There were months when sales trickled in (if at all), when my designs got buried in the algorithm, and when self-doubt screamed louder than inspiration. But I kept going. I showed up.

Because that’s what separates the dreamers from the doers. Not luck. Not viral moments. Just one simple habit: to keep going, to do maybe just *one small thing* every day.

Let’s talk algorithms for a second. Whether you’re posting on Instagram, updating your Etsy shop, or pinning to Pinterest, these platforms are built to reward consistency. But even beyond the tech side, consistency builds trust with your audience.

When a potential customer sees that you're regularly sharing, creating, and evolving, they begin to believe in you—maybe even before you believe in yourself.

Every time you post, update a listing, or design something new, you're building momentum. You're proving (to yourself and your audience) that you're not going anywhere. And in a world where so many give up too soon, that’s powerful.

Here’s the raw truth: you will want to give up. Probably many times. Especially when you’re working so hard and the results don’t come as fast as you hoped.

So what do you do then?

1. Pause, but don’t quit. Take a break. Step outside. Get some fresh air. But don’t throw away your dreams in a moment of discouragement.

2. Revisit your why. Why did you start creating in the first place? What makes your work meaningful to you?

3. Remember that growth is rarely visible in the moment. Like roots growing underground, your efforts are doing more than you can see. Keep watering them.

One of my favorite mantras when I feel overwhelmed is: “Just show up.” You don’t need to go viral. You just need to take the next small step.

It’s tempting to believe that there’s no room for you in a saturated space. But that’s a lie.

Your voice, your art, your message—it matters.

You bring a unique lense, life story, and creative fingerprint that nobody else can replicate. Sure, there may be thousands of other artists out there. But there’s only one you. When you show up consistently, when you curate your work in a way that only your artistic eye can, you give the world a chance to find and connect with you.

Even when it feels like shouting into the void, keep speaking.

Think of persistence not as a grind, but as a gift.

Every listing you update, every piece you create, every challenge you push through—it’s all adding up to something bigger. It’s a message to your future self that says: I believed in you enough to keep going.

Even if you don’t see the results yet, you’re laying a foundation brick by brick. And one day, you’ll look back and be so grateful that you didn’t give up.

Small Steps, Big Shifts

Here’s the beauty of persistence: it doesn’t have to be loud or dramatic. It can look like:

1. Posting that one new design even when your last five didn’t sell.

2. Refreshing old listings with better photos or SEO.

3. Spending 15 minutes each day learning something new.

4. Choosing to believe that your next step matters.

Those little actions? They compound. They shape your business, your art, and your confidence. One drop at a time, they fill the well.

I know it’s hard. I know some days you feel invisible, tired, or like the algorithm is out to get you. But you are not alone. So many of us are building something meaningful, slowly and quietly, behind the scenes.

And if you’ve read this far, let this be your nudge to keep going.

You're not too late. You're not too small. And the work you’re doing matters.

If you’re looking for a bit of beauty and encouragement today, I’d love for you to visit my Etsy shop, Honeyfield Design Co. Every piece there was created with love, intention, and a heart full of persistence—just like yours.

Let’s keep showing up.

Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

Our future selves will thank us.

- Tara