Mid-Year 2026 Check-In: Momentum, Big Watercolors & Still on the Wild Ride
It’s the middle of the year, and something feels different.
For the first time in a long while, I’m sitting here with actual traction and momentum. Not the frantic kind — the steady, grounded kind that comes from showing up consistently and watching the pieces start to fit together. It’s still scary as hell doing this entrepreneurship thing. Some days the uncertainty feels loud. But more and more it feels like something I have to do. Like the path is choosing me as much as I’m choosing it.
I’ve been loving the rhythm of my days lately. Focused work blocks in the morning and early afternoon, then a proper walk to clear my head and unwind, then another solid stretch of work before the evening. Evenings are for relaxing — no guilt, no forcing. Just letting the day land. That structure has been everything. It’s helping me actually enjoy the work instead of just surviving it.
“Break Me Gently” — 20×30 inch watercolor on paper. A personal piece exploring intimacy, vulnerability, power, and surrender. This one just came together and it feels powerful. It will be available soon on the website.
One of the biggest bright spots right now is the commission pieces I’m deep into — big 20×30 inch watercolors that are keeping me focused, challenged, and excited. These feel like a real win and a sign that the work is resonating.
At the same time, I’m still carving out time for my own projects. I’ve been consistently finishing new pieces every week — work I’m genuinely proud of. I also just wrapped up the latest issue of The Raw Art Monthly Post and I’m continuing to develop “What Would Da Vinci Do?” — my creative puzzle book series.
Here are the current covers:
The Raw Art Monthly Post – Issue No. 2
The Colossal Dancing Maidens – What Would Da Vinci Do? (Tacoma edition)
I’m also starting to sketch out new digital designs for print-on-demand products and laying groundwork for future books, including Urban Intimacies and the next collection of erotic art paired with short stories. It feels good to have multiple creative threads going at once.
I’ve also been quietly stepping back from the part-time work at the frame shop. It’s become clear they really need a full-time framer, and that’s just not me. I don’t want to take an opportunity that belongs to someone else who would thrive in it. My energy needs to stay on the work that only I can do.
On the broader front, a few friends are dreaming up some wild art events and programs. It’s genuinely exciting to hear the ideas they’re cooking. Right now I’m mostly in spectator/listener mode, but there are a couple of areas where I could see myself getting more involved down the line — only time will tell as things develop. For now, my focus stays narrow and intentional: the commissions, my own books and projects, and keeping the momentum I’ve worked so hard to build.
It’s been a wild few months. Looking back, I can see how much has shifted — the festival, the 100+ originals going live, the Shopify systems getting tighter, the consistent weekly output. And looking forward, these next few months feel full of possibility. I’m curious (and a little nervous) to see where it all goes.
For now, I’m right here — head down on these big watercolors, heart open to whatever comes next, and quietly grateful for the traction I’m finally feeling.
If you’ve been following along on this ride, thank you. Your support — whether that’s a kind word, a share, a purchase, or just reading these updates — means more than you know.
What’s next for you? I’d love to hear how your own mid-year is feeling. Are you in a season of building, resting, dreaming, or something else entirely?
If you’re sitting on a big idea for a custom watercolor portrait, a book illustration project, or a special piece, my commission books are open. I’d love to hear what you’re envisioning.
You can browse current original work (including the Polite & Naughty collections), check out what’s new in the shop, or reach out directly about commissions and custom projects.
Wings adjusted. Gut trusted. Joy actively hunted.
Hell yeah.
— Dan Urban Muse & Sultry Hues