Fear of making mistakes on your paintings actually keeps you from making great paintings. Your fear and hesitation will show in the work and it will seem laboured, static or overworked. Sound familiar?
Like many challenges in life fear is the enemy. And really what is it fear of? After all it’s just some paint on a surface. It’s not exactly a life or death scenario!
The key is in your emotional approach and your mindset; to approach every painting with curiosity and playfulness. Think of how a child approaches painting. They just pick colours the like, they make marks that represent something to them and they JUST PLAY! Who’s to say if it’s good or bad? A child doesn’t care, they just get caught up in the ‘doing’ of it and by trying things out, they learn.
When you find yourself being fearful, just do something playful that pleases or excites you; it will produce a painting that is pleasing or exciting, and even if you do make a mess, you will have learned something!
