The next time you're hesitating on taking a small step, because it feels too simple, think of an artist named Noah Scalin back in 2007.
By his own admission, Noah was wrestling with a creative block. He felt stagnant, unsure of his next move.
As an artist, the pressure was on to create something impactful, something that would break him out of his rut.
But he decided to go the other way.
(I imagine him sitting in his studio, surrounded by unfinished projects, thinking, "I need to do something, anything, to get moving again.")
"I was trying to think of something simple that I could do consistently," he would later explain.
So instead of crafting some elaborate, grand art project, Noah decided to make… a skull.
💀
Every day.
More specifically, he decided to make a skull every day for a year.
He started with a simple orange paper skull, posted it online, and declared, "I'm making a skull a day for a year."
The initial step was tiny — just a cut-out piece of paper. But he kept going.
Day after day, he used whatever materials he had on hand: light bulbs, bubble gum, googly eyes, acorns. He even worked up to 12 hours a day on some of the more complex projects, but he always delivered.
When he finished his 365th skull, Noah pretty much moved on with his life.
It was just a personal art project, after all. The kind that usually lives on only in the archives of a personal blog.
But then something unexpected happened...His blog exploded.
Tens of thousands of people were following his daily creations.
His simple project had become an international phenomenon. Martha Stewart even had him on her show and Random House published a book of his skulls. All from a simple commitment to doing one small thing, every day.
I mean, think about what happened here...
Noah originally had considered trying to break his creative block with a grand, ambitious project. Something with more "oomph."
Something, perhaps, that sounded more like what a "serious" artist "should" do. Maybe involving complex installations, or a profound artistic statement.
Instead, he just focused on the simple act of creating, consistently.
Now, this email is not an art critique; but I do find Noah's story instructive.
Why?
Because it's a good lesson in choosing simplicity and consistency...
... giving yourself the freedom to start small and build momentum.
... and trusting that plain, consistent action can lead to extraordinary results.
I'll say it again: When you are consistent and committed to simple steps, incredible things can happen.
It's the ultimate proof of progress...
...and has the added benefit of being the opposite of overwhelming.
"Wow, that person was so consistently taking small steps that I'm going to ignore their progress." — said no one, ever.
Look, you gotta do you. And maybe your consistent action is walking for five minutes a day, or having that glass of water when you wake up every morning.
In the end, the truest progress always comes from consistent, simple action — not from waiting for the perfect moment to explode into change.
And taking action is what this whole "living" thing is all about, isn't it?
Living Well With You, Not At You,
Coach JZ ✌️
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