Gutter Thoughts 031: Why Consistency Is About Process, Not Quantity.
How indie games and Stoic wisdom reveal the secret to building lasting creative work.
The Stoic Quote of the Week
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”
-Aristotle
Hey there!
Consistency isn’t about quantity. It’s about sticking to a process that leads to quality.
I was reminded of this while playing indie games this year. Titles like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong each took years to develop. Yet, even before release, they already felt richer, deeper, and more memorable than most rushed AAA blockbusters—because of the process behind them.
It’s crazy how we live in a world obsessed with producing more, faster. Scale up. Post daily. Push content nonstop. But “fast” has never been the golden rule. In fact, the whole concept of tracking time by the clock is a recent invention. In Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman reminds us that humans once worked only with the sun—short bursts of consistent effort stretched over seasons and years. Not 9-to-5, five days a week.
That’s what struck me: art that lasts, whether a game, a comic, or a book, always comes from process, patience, and rhythm—not volume.
So today, let’s talk about why consistency is about process, not quantity, and what indie studios can teach us about our own creative practice.
Let’s dive in.
Indie studios show the power of patience.
Team Cherry, the small studio behind Hollow Knight and its sequel Silksong, has taken more than seven years to develop their next game. And yet, their audience hasn’t abandoned them—they’ve grown. Why? Because players know that when Team Cherry finally releases Silksong, it will be polished, thoughtful, and worth the wait.
Patience works because it builds trust. Indie studios don’t flood the market with rushed sequels; they remind their fans, gently, that the process is still ongoing. That reminder—we’re still at it—becomes part of the story.
As creators, we can take the same approach. You don’t need to post daily sketches, churn out endless drafts, or flood social feeds. You need to commit to your process, show up, and share progress when it matters.
Consistency is showing up—not showing off.
Big doesn’t always mean better.
AAA studios chase deadlines, quarterly earnings, and hype cycles. The result? Half-finished games that ask players to pay extra for the “real” story. Quantity over quality.
Indie studios, by contrast, get one shot. They can’t afford mediocrity. So they sharpen their focus—whether it’s storytelling (Clair Obscure: Expedition 33), gameplay innovation, or hand-painted art. When they get it right across all three, you get a masterpiece.
Big studios often survey audiences to figure out “what people want.” That has its place, but it also limits risk. Indie creators have freedom to explore untapped ideas, forgotten genres, or personal obsessions. They create the games they themselves would want to play.
The Stoic lesson? You can’t control scale, resources, or hype. You can only control your effort and attention. Just like making comics, the real power lies in shaping what’s in front of you, not chasing what you can’t control.
Consistency is about rhythm, not output.
Too often, we think consistency means “every day.” Post daily. Publish weekly. Grind harder. But real consistency is rhythm. It’s the steady drumbeat of showing up to your process.
Consistency should feel boring. It’s about turning up, trying again, adjusting slightly, and repeating. That’s where grit lives. One day, that rhythm pays off with breakthroughs you never could have forced.
Here’s the formula:
Set a clear goal with a finish date.
Break it into a daily process you can actually stick to.
Show up and do a little, every day.
As Gretchen Rubin shares in Manage Your Day-to-Day, “A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.” And Angela Duckworth’s Grit puts it simply: “Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long time.”
For me, that goal is becoming a ghostwriter. Every day, I time-block an hour to write. Publishing Gutter Thoughts weekly is part of that rhythm—both to sharpen my craft and to explore my creative ideas in comics.
Marcus Aurelius said it best:
“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: I have to go to work—as a human being.”
Consistency isn’t glamorous. But it’s the foundation.
Quality compounds when you trust the process.
The games I loved this year weren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or the flashiest marketing. They were the ones where small teams trusted the process, worked patiently, and focused on the essentials. And in 2025, two indie games are being considered for Game of the Year—proof that patience scales.
That’s the creative truth too. You don’t need a massive following, a giant budget, or a perfect roadmap. You need a process, patience, and the courage to keep showing up. Quality compounds when you give it time.
Marcus Aurelius reminded himself daily: do what’s in front of you with care. That’s the process.
Closing thought:
Consistency isn’t about speed or volume. It’s about finding your own rhythm, masterig your craft, and developing patience.
Indie studios prove it. And if you trust your own process, your art will too.
Looking for more of my work? Start with Boom Kid—a story about power, identity, and loyalty.
This Week’s Creative Sparks
Here are the shows, books, movies, comics, and more that have sparked my creativity this week:
Comic Book Spark: WILDC.A.T.S
I recently stopped by a used bookstore and came across WildC.A.T.S issues written by the legendary Alan Moore—the same writer behind Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I had no idea he’d written superhero comics for Image. At only a dollar each, I had to grab them. They’re not his best work, but still a fun read. Sometimes it’s worth diving into old comics just to enjoy the ride.
Movie Spark: One Battle After Another
The trailer for this film had me hooked right away—a revolutionary story told with sharp comedy. When the hype grew, I knew I had to see it. I caught it in Vistavision, a format that hasn’t played in theaters for more than 60 years, and it was a stunning experience. This is an artist working at the highest level, and seeing that kind of craft pushes me to aim higher in my own work.
YouTube Spark: Jumper
I stumbled on this short film a few weeks ago and found it surprisingly entertaining. At first, I thought it was a remake of the 2008 movie, but it turned out to be an experiment from a small crew. Their goal: mix fight choreography with modern filming tech—motion-control arms, 360° bullet-time rigs, POV shots, and more. It’s a wild watch, and I recommend checking it out.
That’s a wrap for this week’s Gutter Thoughts. Thanks for joining me on this creative journey—hopefully, something here sparked an idea or inspired your own work. Until next time, stay grounded, stay creative, and keep pushing forward.
This issue is sponsored by me.
I created Cut the Learning Curve, a free 5-day course for aspiring comic creators who are ready to stop guessing and start creating with confidence.
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