Works in Progress: Why Unfinished ≠ Abandoned

There are projects we start with enthusiasm… and then something stalls. Sometimes we put them aside “just for a moment” – and that moment quietly turns into a month. But just because something is half-done and sitting there doesn’t mean it’s meaningless, a failure, or that I’ve given up on it. Sometimes it just isn’t the right time yet. And that’s okay.

“Not now” doesn’t mean “never”

Sometimes we put something off and it looks like a failure – like we didn’t manage, lost motivation, or abandoned the idea. But the truth is, not everything needs to be finished right away. Some projects need time to settle in your head, to breathe a little, or simply to wait for the right moment. “Not now” doesn’t mean I’ve given up. It just means the time hasn’t come yet – and trusting your own pace is sometimes more important than pushing things to the finish line. Some ideas ripen quietly – off the calendar, outside expectations. And that’s okay too.

Creative hibernation

From the outside, it might look like nothing’s happening – like the project has completely stopped. But inside, something is still working. Ideas are maturing, rearranging, fermenting – like sourdough waiting to rise. Creativity has its own cycles, and not every phase is about action and output. Sometimes we need to sink into silence, to give ourselves permission to be in stillness. Hibernation isn’t wasted time – it’s energy gathering. Just like trees don’t grow in winter but prepare for spring, we too can allow ourselves creative stillness. It’s still part of the process.

Stagnation is part of the process

Not everything flows evenly – sometimes things just stop. They sit in a corner, gather dust, stare at us from a shelf. And that’s okay too. Some days we run out of time, other times we’re missing a tool, a material, or we just feel like doing something else entirely. That pause doesn’t mean the project is dead. It’s just a phase. Kind of like in cooking – some things just need to rest before you can keep going. Same with making. Some ideas just need to sit for a while.

Procrastination or intuition?

Sometimes we delay things and immediately go into self-blame mode: “I didn’t do anything again.” But maybe it’s not laziness – maybe it’s intuition saying, not yet. Sometimes little things – not wanting to pull out the glue, the lighting isn’t right, the mess is too much – are quiet signs that something hasn’t clicked yet. That it’s not time. And often, when the moment finally comes, everything flows effortlessly. Maybe it wasn’t procrastination after all. Maybe it was the quiet before the start.

Unfinished ≠ worthless

Just because something isn’t done yet doesn’t mean it has no value. Unfinished pieces hold weight – they show direction, thought, process. Sometimes all it takes is a shift in perspective to see that they already are something – even if they’re not what we first imagined. And maybe they never will be exactly what we had in mind – and that’s okay too. Not everything needs to sparkle and be “perfectly finished” to matter. Sometimes it’s worth pausing halfway and looking at what’s already there – because that’s part of the story too.

There are times when we think something will become a finished piece, but it turns out to be just a test – a rough draft, an experiment. And that’s okay too. You leave it behind, take what you’ve learned, and start again – but this time with a clearer view, and without repeating that one mistake. It’s not wasted time. It’s a step forward.

Waiting for the “click”

Some projects get stuck just because they’re missing one thing – a specific material, the right tool, or a structural element that ties everything together. Sometimes it’s a shape you haven’t discovered yet or a technique you haven’t thought of. And so the piece waits. But that doesn’t mean it’s failed – it’s just waiting for that moment when things fall into place. Sometimes it takes spotting a different object, finding a new material, or testing something outside your usual process. Suddenly, it all starts moving. That “click” doesn’t come when we force it – it comes when we’re open to seeing it.

Works in progress have something to say too

Every creative corner has its unfinished stories – something’s drying, something fell apart, something was meant to be put aside “just for a moment” and has been sitting there for three months. And that’s totally fine. Sometimes it’s those half-done pieces that show how our mind really works – jumping between ideas, changing concepts, testing things out. You can laugh at them, you can keep them as little souvenirs from the trial phase.

I even have a special box – full of odd parts, fragments, half-projects. Nothing quite matches, everything looks like it came from a different story. But I keep it, because I truly believe something will come out of it. Maybe not this month. Maybe not even this year. But one day I’ll look inside and something will just click.

And I also have a whole bunch of video clips that were supposed to become tutorials – but they didn’t, at least not yet. I still keep them, because I see them as part of the process. Once I finally finish the project they belong to, I think I’ll show you. Maybe those clips will turn into something really cool when the time is right.

Creating in a slow rhythm

Not everything needs to be fast. Some things need time, quiet, and a few attempts. And that’s completely okay. Sometimes it’s worth setting something aside, taking a break, and coming back when it feels right. No pressure, no mental deadlines. Making can be a ritual, not a race. And the result? It might arrive later – but it’ll feel right. Calmer. Truer. Less forced.

Do you have your own unfinished-box? What’s hiding inside?
Which projects are quietly waiting for their time?
Do you ever put something on hold – and come back when it finally clicks?