When you can't, sometimes, you must.

This picture makes me smile every time I see it. It may not look like much, but the story behind it? That makes me smile. I just love how many life lessons art teaches me.

Here is the story... Everyone experiences creative blocks or times when we just don't "feel like" doing what we know we should do. There are many ways I have handled this is in the past. Sometimes, I do believe that it is OK. to step away and do something else and give it a go another time, especially with art. Forcing it, often doesn't work.

However, sometimes it works to just make yourself do the thing or start the thing and voila! You are back. These are delicious times, my friends! Set a timer for 15 minutes and do the thing for that long. You can give yourself permission to be done when the time is up but you will have overcome the hurdle and at least begun. Very often when I do this, I am into whatever it is and want to continue!

This gem of a picture started with me having quite a dry spell with painting. The thought of painting made me think and feel just - meh. It was not a good way to feel. So, on this particular day, I wanted to just make myself put water and pigment on paper, assuring myself that it did not have to look like much. I simply wanted to paint something. Anything. So, with brush in hand, I chose my color and just started plodding those lines down.

I was in a mastermind a few years ago with some awesome folks and Chris who was also a member would always say, "Trust the processs." My friend Bill who was also in the mastermind would always encourage us with the words, "Keep practicing." With these friends' encouraging words in my head, and a. brush in my hand, I started actually enjoying these plodding lines! Then somewhere between these plodding lines the watercolor magic took over and I got drawn into how the pigment behaves in the water on the paper. I was back.

This piece isn't for everyone, but if you are standing in front of a hurdle, this piece and I am cheering that you will take steps to make a start or make some progress and just do the thing. You've got this. If you can't, sometimes, you must!