There's a gap in the creative process that separates the people who get good from the people who give up — and almost nobody talks about it. You get inspired — something clicks, you can see what you want to make, your brain is buzzing. And then you sit down to actually make it. It turns out your brain and hands are not on the same page (yet), and reality sets in.

Are you anything like me, and love the euphoria of a good idea, but then halfway down the road you see something shiny — an even BETTer idea — and the next thing you know, you've left a trail of broken projects and art supplies in your wake, without much to show for it? As I see it, there are three challenges that stop us from becoming highly skilled at something. First, picking exactly WHICH thing we want to get really good at. Second, getting stuck in the research or planning phase of HOW to get really good at that thing. And third, staying with it long enough to actually improve.