The Wine Rack That Helped My Confidence

Hi Reader,

It’s Saturday afternoon. The weather is fine. The to-do list is not. And I’m standing in my kitchen, eyeing a deceptively small box. Inside it? A flat-packed wine rack with approximately 347 tiny screws, a vaguely smug Allen wrench, and instructions that may or may not be translated from ancient runes.

Now, for some people, assembling furniture is no big deal. They thrive on it. They hear “some assembly required” and smile like it’s game night. I am not one of those people.

Unfortunately, there was no magical elf coming to do it for me. If I wanted my Malbec off the counter, I was going to have to build that thing myself.

And I did!

Was it fast? No. No world records were broken.

But here’s the thing: I finished it. I didn’t throw it across the room. I didn’t give up halfway through and call it modern art. I kept going. And that goofy little wine rack became something more than a storage solution. It became a symbol of something I think we don’t talk about enough in the creative world:

Doing the thing that’s hard for you

We talk a lot about leaning into your strengths. You should build your creative career around what you’re good at—your voice, your weird and wonderful ideas, your ability to write killer dialogue, or worldbuild like a boss.

But sometimes, it’s equally important to do something you’re not good at. Something that stretches your brain or tests your patience or challenges the story you tell yourself about what you’re capable of.

Because every time you do a hard thing—whether that’s putting together a wine rack, learning TikTok, or finally making that cash flow spreadsheet—you’re proving to yourself that you can. That you’re not just creative, but courageous. Not just talented, but tenacious.

And that, my friends, is rocket fuel for your confidence.

Self-esteem doesn’t always come from doing what you’re best at. Sometimes it comes from tackling the thing you dread, fumbling your way through it, and emerging victorious (or at least semi-assembled). It gives you the courage to face down the next hard thing—be it a scary rewrite, a pitch meeting, or yes, even another piece of furniture.

So here’s your invitation this week:

Pick one small thing that’s hard for you.
Do it anyway.
Celebrate with something from your (possibly metaphorical) wine rack.

Because creative courage doesn’t just come from the big wins. It grows in the quiet victories—the ones where no one’s watching but you still show up and try.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a suddenly very impressive-looking wine rack to admire. And maybe a spreadsheet to attempt… after one glass of Pinot.