Perhaps it was growing up with a dad who was perpetually doing DIY but the smell of paint is associated with progress for me.
Perhaps you think it is covering up the cracks but here’s the lesson.
To do a paint job well, the vast majority of the work is preparing the surface.
You fill.
You sand down.
You fill again.
You make sure the surface is smooth and then you bring the colour and a good paint job will last a long time if you put the effort in.
When you do work well, you get a daily reminder that you took the project stage by stage, stroke by stroke and you care about the quality of your work.
All it requires is a bit of patience.
And a lot of love.