That 'harsh and oaky' bit (been there) but unoaked is different.

Temperature changes which tiny bugs grow, so it's not just about working. A cooler spot can make a crisper pickle than a warm one.

Totally the right mindset. Otherwise you'd go nuts waiting for the big tomb reveal that might never come. It's all about those little wins keeping the whole thing from feeling pointless. We're not exactly wired for that much delayed gratification.

I used to insist on low-VOC paints for every home project, convinced the environmental trade-off was necessary. Then I repainted my own cabinets and the finish remained slightly soft, attracting dust and showing scuffs within weeks. Dealing with that constant maintenance made me realize that a product that doesn't last creates its own kind of waste. Now I prioritize durability, because a paint job you have to redo every year isn't saving the planet.

Yeah, that point about pressure to make every page 'good' hits hard. It's like we're trained to treat our creative spaces as content first, which is a huge societal shift. Social media has turned everything into a performance, even private journals, so by sharing the messy bits, I'm actively resisting that curation culture. It absolutely changes how I work because the sketchbook becomes a process document, not a portfolio, and the pressure drops when you're not prepping for an audience. This mindset is creeping into all aspects of life, where we feel the need to perfect every moment before living it, and breaking that cycle starts with small acts like showing the rough drafts.