Sometimes when I sit down to paint, I feel pretty darn good about it. Then there are other times when I get a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach that I label as “worry”.

Worry about how I’m going to approach the painting.
Worry that this might be a ‘waste’ of a painting session.
Worry that basically, the whole thing will just be a hot mess.

Sometimes I only get a momentary bit of worry that I am able to push away.

That’s what happened when I sat down to paint this month’s August challenge.

It was one of those instances where I knew in theory how I would approach the sky, yet this sky was different and new.  With watercolors, we know that even if it’s something that’s not different and new, we never actually know what the outcome will be. It’s because the outcome is in the future and who knows what’s going to happen in the future. It’s the future!

As it turned out, the painting turned out ok. And I believe it was because I was able to stop worrying and just paint.

I noticed when I worry before painting and I continue to worry, inevitably the painting will suck and here’s why:

• Worry distracts me from staying present.

• Lack of confidence shows up in my brush strokes.

• My mind convinces me it’s over before it’s over.

So that’s what worry does for our art, it destroys the potential for it to be good.

Worrying does nothing for us because it won’t make our paintings better. It only brings us closer to what we’re afraid of - which is a ‘failed’ painting.

So then, what do we do instead of worry? Believe.

• Believe in our own abilities.

• Believe that we have an innate sense of what to do next.

• Believe that no matter the outcome, it will have been worthwhile.

I’m sharing this today because I needed this reminder.  I have some things I’ve been thinking of painting and there’s definitely worry that is blocking me from sitting down in earnest to try.

And I know the only way to get through it is to believe that it will all be ok. Because it will be. And even when it’s not ok, it’s still ok.

Click below to view my painting process for this dawn sky and beach landscape:

SUPPLIES USED IN THIS VIDEO

• Arches Coldpress Watercolor Paper

• Derwent Graphitone Water-Soluble Pencil

• Princeton Neptune Mottler 1 ½

• Princeton Neptune Round Brushes Size 4 and 10

• Daniel Smith Watercolors

• Masking Tape

REFERENCE PHOTO

• Eric Villalobos from Pexels
  

Thank you so much for reading and watching!
Susan