by Michael Damico

So, you haven’t painted in a while? Are you embarrassed about it? Maybe even a little ashamed to step foot in your art studio? Well, I’ve been there more times than I can count. But I’ve got a tip for you on how to get past it. This simple trick actually uses some classical conditioning (think Pavlov’s dogs but without the shock). Here’s what you do:

Go into your art studio and just sit there. Drink your coffee, answer some emails. But go in there without the intention of creating art. This helps your mind understand that you’re not going to get fired because you’ve been absent as an artist. It also calms those feelings of doubt. And best of all, it can begin to generate a positive feeling of being productive at more mundane tasks.