How to Finish Creative Projects When You Hit the Messy Middle
Why the hardest part isn't starting or finishing—it's staying in the beautiful, terrible space between.
Tell me you can relate to this:
It all started with a little fire in your belly and a lilt in your heart.
The idea came to you bright and clear—maybe it was the novel you finally had time to write, the painting that wanted to emerge, the business you’d been dreaming about, or even the life you were rebuilding after everything fell apart.
Those first days were magic. You were energized, inspired, completely alive with possibility. You could see it so clearly: the finished product, the satisfaction of completion, the person you’d become through the creating.
But now?
Now you’re somewhere in the middle, and it’s nothing like you imagined.
I'm there.
This summer has been devoted to the wonderful and creative adventure of remodeling two bathrooms!
Haha, I hope you're laughing. I know my mom is.
In the messy middle of creative projects, the words feel clunky. The colors look muddy. The business plan seems impossible. The new life feels chaotic and uncertain. You're far enough in that you can't really stop, but the end is way out of sight. You can't tell if you're making any progress.
For me right now, everything is dusty, and so many things don't have a place yet. Four boxes of tile are stacked by the front door, the other 6 are en route. One vanity has been chosen but not purchased; the other is yet to be designed. Contracts have been signed, but the work is yet to be scheduled.
You’re questioning everything. (I'm questioning everything.)
Is this even worth finishing?
Are you kidding yourself? (Am I kidding myself?)
Should you just quit and start something else? (Really, should I?!)
Welcome to the messy middle. The place where most dreams go to die—and where the real magic happens.
What Nobody Tells You About the Middle
(and why I'm writing this note to you, I need to hear it too)
When we talk about creative projects, we focus on two moments: the brilliant beginning and the triumphant ending. We love the story of inspiration striking and the celebration of completion.
But we rarely talk about the 80% that happens in between. The long, unglamorous, doubt-filled middle where nothing looks like what you imagined and everything feels harder than it should be.
The messy middle is where your idea meets reality.
It's where your vision crashes into your current skill level. Where your dreams encounter practical limitations. Where your excitement meets the daily grind of actually creating something.
And because nobody prepared you for this phase, you think it means something's wrong.
You think it means you're not talented enough, not committed enough, not worthy of finishing what you started.
But the messy middle isn't evidence of failure. It's evidence of growth.
The Anatomy of the Messy Middle
The messy middle has its own landscape, its own weather patterns, its own natural laws. Learning to recognize them helps you navigate without panicking.
The Doubt
Suddenly, you're convinced this project is terrible. You can't remember why you thought it was a good idea. Everyone else's work looks better than yours. You're obviously deluding yourself about your abilities.
(Seriously, why am I remodeling two bathrooms at the same time?!)
The Comparison
You start looking at what others have created and feel yourself sinking. They make it look so easy. Their work is so polished. Why can't you create like that?
(Search “retro bathrooms” on Pinterest and you’ll see what I mean!)
The Perfectionism
You can't move forward because nothing you create matches the perfect vision in your head. You revise the same paragraph fifty times. You paint over the same section again and again. You can't proceed until it's "right."
(Enter intrusive, ruminating, late-night thoughts about…bathroom remodels.)
The Overwhelm
What seemed simple at the beginning now feels impossibly complex. There are so many moving pieces, so many decisions to make, so many ways to get it wrong.
(Yep!)
The Energy Drain
The initial excitement has worn off, and you're running on discipline alone. Sometimes you don't even have that. Some days, just thinking about the project makes you tired.
(And want to avoid it altogether, except I need to shower and brush my teeth daily.)
The Shiny Object Syndrome
New ideas start looking more appealing than this messy, difficult thing you're in the middle of. Maybe you should quit this and start that brilliant new project instead.
(Paint the basement? Get a new fridge? Reorganize the office and get a new standing desk? I did the last one.)
All of this is normal. All of this is part of the process. All of this is evidence that you're doing something worthwhile.
When you notice these signs, instead of panicking, you can tell yourself: "Ah, I'm in the messy middle. This is normal. This is where the real work happens."
Why the Messy Middle Matters
The messy middle isn't just something to endure—it's where the real learning happens.
It's where you develop skills. Those first drafts that feel clunky? They're teaching you your craft. The colors that look muddy? They're showing you how paint actually works. The business plans that seem impossible? They're forcing you to learn what you don't know.
It's where you discover what you're actually creating. The project you finish is rarely the project you started. The messy middle is where your original idea transforms into something deeper, truer, more authentic than what you initially imagined.
It's where you build creative resilience. Every time you choose to stay with a project through its difficult middle phase, you're strengthening your ability to see things through. You're proving to yourself that you can handle discomfort without abandoning your dreams.
It's where you meet your authentic voice. When the initial excitement wears off and you have to create from something deeper than inspiration, you discover what you actually have to say, what you actually want to make, who you actually are as a creator.
It's where you separate yourself from the dreamers. Anyone can have a great idea. Most people can start a project with enthusiasm. But the people who finish things? They're the ones who've learned to stay present in the messy middle.
Finding myself here last week, with a lull in the project and a mopey overwhelm in my step, I went looking within myself for what to do. Here's what I came up with:
How to Stay Present and Engaged in the Messy Middle
The goal isn’t to rush through the messy middle or avoid it altogether. The goal is to stay present and engaged with the process, trusting that something meaningful is emerging even when you can’t see it clearly.
1. Lower the Stakes
Remember that this project doesn’t have to be perfect, groundbreaking, or impressive to anyone else. It just has to be yours.
(I'm planning to wallpaper one bathroom with old newspaper I inherited from a great aunt so I combed through all of them and chose my favorites.)
2. Focus on Process, Not Outcome (this one is my favorite!)
Instead of asking, “Is this going to be good?” ask, “What am I learning today?” Instead of worrying about the finished product, celebrate showing up to the work.
(I feel reinvigorated now that I've chosen this uniquely "me" element to bring into the project.)
3. Create Tiny Win Systems
Set micro-goals you can achieve daily: write 100 words, paint for 20 minutes, work on one small section. These tiny wins build momentum and keep you connected to the project.
(It's a slog, but I've been cleaning out the bathroom drawers and cabinets in preparation for a new vanity!)
4. Practice the Art of “Good Enough”
Perfectionism is the enemy of completion. Instead of making each part perfect before moving on, allow things to be “good enough for now” with the understanding that you can always return and revise.
(I'm actually good at this one! I love imperfection in projects like these bathroom remodels, they become visual evidence of the journey.)
5. Cultivate Curious Detachment
Approach your work with scientific curiosity rather than emotional attachment. “I wonder what happens if I try this?” instead of “This has to work or I’m a failure.”
(This is how I arrived at the idea of using my great aunt's paper paraphernalia to decorate the walls.)
6. Find Your Creative Support System
Connect with other creators who understand the process. Share your struggles without shame. Remember that every creator goes through this.
(This is where I get to mention my mom again. She's an all-star at remodels, and I called her to help me shop for new lighting (because she knows who to call!).)
7. Document Small Discoveries
Keep a journal of tiny breakthroughs, lessons learned, or moments of clarity. This helps you see progress even when the overall project feels stalled.
(Anyone in my daily circle hears about the bathroom remodel progress, it seems to be most of what I'm talking about this summer!)
8. Return to Your Why
When motivation wanes, reconnect with why you started this project. What drew you to it initially? What do you hope to learn or express?
(This project started with wanting my son to have a nice, functional bathroom for his last year of high school. AND I wanted a deeper tub because I love to soak and read all winter long.)
9. Embrace “Beginner’s Mind”
Approach each creative session with fresh eyes. Instead of carrying yesterday’s frustrations, ask, “What wants to emerge today?”
(This seems like a good idea, I'll apply it when I get into the actual act of wallpapering...stay tuned.)
10. Set Boundaries Around Comparison
Limit exposure to others’ polished work when you’re in your messy phase. Unfollow accounts that trigger comparison. Remind yourself that you’re seeing their highlight reel, not their process.
(Stay off Pinterest, Maggie!)
The Messy Middle as Spiritual Practice
If you're someone, like me, who finds meaning in the deeper dimensions of life, the messy middle can become a profound spiritual practice.
It teaches you to:
Trust the process even when you can't see the outcome
Stay present with discomfort instead of escaping
Find meaning in the journey, not just the destination
Practice faith in your own creative capacity
Develop patience with natural rhythms and timing
Cultivate surrender to what wants to emerge through you
The messy middle asks you the same questions that life asks: Can you stay present with uncertainty? Can you continue caring about something even when it's difficult? Can you trust that something meaningful is happening even when you can't see it clearly?
The Plot Twist
Here’s what I’ve learned from my own creative projects and from walking with other creators: The messy middle isn’t just a phase you have to endure. It’s often where the best parts of your project are born.
That scene you struggled with for weeks becomes the heart of your story. That color you mixed by accident becomes the perfect shade you were searching for. That business challenge forces you to discover a better way. That life transition that felt like chaos becomes the foundation for something more authentic.
The mess isn’t the enemy of creation. The mess IS creation.
An Invitation to Stay
If you’re in the messy middle of something right now—a creative project, a life transition, a relationship, a dream—I want to offer you this invitation:
Stay.
Not because it will be easy. Not because it will be quick. Not because you can see how it ends.
Stay because something is trying to emerge through you, and it needs your presence to be born.
Stay because the discomfort you’re feeling isn’t evidence that you’re failing—it’s evidence that you’re growing.
Stay because the world needs what you’re creating, even if you can’t see its value yet.
(I'll get back to you on the value of remodeling the bathrooms and how the world needs them!)
Stay because you deserve to see what happens when you don’t abandon yourself in the difficult middle.
The messy middle is not where dreams go to die. It’s where they go to become real.
What messy middle are you in right now? What creative project or life transition is asking you to stay present with uncertainty? I'd love to hear about your beautiful mess—hit reply and share what's emerging through you, even if you can't see it clearly yet.
