A new sketch from my current sketchbook project, 15”x 11’, mixed media on paper, copyright 2016 David Limrite

“Even if you are on the right track, you will still get run over if you just sit there.”
Will Rogers

More Doing. Less Thinking.

You are working on a painting that you are really excited about, and all of a sudden: WHAM!! You hit a brick wall. You don’t know what to do next. You are stuck.

The natural tendency is to stop. And think. And try and figure it out.

I don’t know about you but this tactic never works for me. What works for me is to keep working. Work through it. Make a left instead of a right. Pivot. Try something different. Anything.

If you stop and try to figure out what went wrong or think too much about what you should be doing next, you shut the door on momentum. And momentum is everything.

I know that not knowing the outcome is scary. Fear of the unknown, right?

Always remember: Action quiets fear.

My best advice is to keep making marks. Something is bound to happen. The piece will start talking to you and telling you what it wants from you. Be prepared for the piece to change and take you in a direction you did not expect to go. This might feel risky, however, for me it is always an interesting and exciting process. It is certainly better than just sitting there doing nothing.

When you are afraid or stuck, take action, even if you don’t have it all figured out. Do everything you can to keep the momentum going.

Do rather than think.

Best,

David